Preston school help launch search for engineers

University bosses in Preston are spearheading a major initiative to inspire the next generation of engineers.
(L-R top) Senior lecturer in computer aided engineering Dr Matt Dickinson, UCLan Joint Institutional Lead Dr Lynne Livesey and Liam Weatherill, Regional Director Primary Engineer, with children from St Andrews C E in Preston and Salesbury CE(L-R top) Senior lecturer in computer aided engineering Dr Matt Dickinson, UCLan Joint Institutional Lead Dr Lynne Livesey and Liam Weatherill, Regional Director Primary Engineer, with children from St Andrews C E in Preston and Salesbury CE
(L-R top) Senior lecturer in computer aided engineering Dr Matt Dickinson, UCLan Joint Institutional Lead Dr Lynne Livesey and Liam Weatherill, Regional Director Primary Engineer, with children from St Andrews C E in Preston and Salesbury CE

The University of Central Lancashire is the main supporter of the county-wide Primary Engineer and Secondary Engineer Leaders Award competition.Aimed at encouraging youngsters to look at the world around them and to find engineered solutions to common problems, the Lancashire competition was officially launched at the UCLan and RI Young Scientist Centre with local schoolchildren.The creative problem-solving and literacy competition will see engineers from across the region, including UCLan staff and student engineers, interviewed by primary and secondary school pupils to find out more about bringing their ideas to life. The children are then challenged to identify a problem, design a solution and write a letter to the engineer stating why it should be made.All entries are graded by engineers and selected entries from each school will be exhibited at the Leaders Awards ceremony in June hosted by UCLan. A prototype of one of the entrants from last year is currently being made by UCLan engineers and will be unveiled at the awards event and displayed at UCLan’s Lancashire Science Festival.UCLan Joint Institutional Lead Dr Lynne Livesey said: “UCLan is a centre of excellence for engineering and innovation and we are delighted to support the Primary Engineer and Secondary Engineer Leaders Award programme.“Both Lancashire and the UK are facing a skills-gap in engineering and by 2020, one in five young people will need to become an engineer to make sure we have enough people trained in this area.”The free competition is open to primary and secondary schools across Lancashire. Deadline is March 27. For more information or to enter the competition, visit the Leaders Award website.