Blaenau Gwent teenager hoping Wales-first Engineering course will be key to dream job
We are so very proud of past pupil, Holly-Mae O'Dwyer, who has featured in an article released by Welsh Government.
Read the article here:
https://gov.wales/blaenau-gwent-teenager-hoping-wales-first-engineering-course-will-be-key-dream-job
See the video here:
https://twitter.com/wgecontransport/status/1227904139834875905?s=21
Last year we had 7 pupils who wanted to pursue a career in Engineering, in particular, Motorsports Engineering. The Science department who are in collaboration with the Welsh Valleys Engineering Project, gave recommendations for all 7 pupils to be considered for £2000 grants, funded by the Panasonic Trust Fund and the David Family Foundation; 6 of these pupils took up their places on the course at Coleg Gwent Learning Zone, Ebbw Vale - Holly is one of these pupils.
This year we have 8 pupils who have interviews at the same college, with access to the same grant if they are successful. This year, our applicants have applied for not only the Motorsport course which is run by Dan Lockett, but the Aeronautical course which is run by Mark Pope. Both Dan and Mark have successful backgrounds in teaching and their expertise in their areas further enriches the experiences young learners.
Twitter: @DanLockettEng @MarkPopeEngLect
It is with special thanks to our STEM coordinator, Anita Shaw for supporting the Welsh Valleys Engineering Project, her input, guidance and enthusiasm has been invaluable. The Royal Academy of Engineering have been the driving force behind our collaborations and we are thankful for their determination to raise the profile of Engineering in the Valleys.
Twitter: @STEMpwdLearning @EduRAEng
Background to the WVEP project:
The Welsh Valleys Engineering Project (WVEP) is an exciting new engineering education programme established by the Royal Academy of Engineering. The Welsh Valleys have a long history of engineering and the Academy is keen to build on that heritage, supporting the untapped engineering potential within students in this area to build a skills base that will support many of the new engineering companies that are investing in South Wales. We have established a regional support programme that delivers focused STEM education support for students and teachers and provides career guidance to students. We see this as integral to transforming the community and breaking the cycle of low aspiration and culture that has affected this part of the country for far too long.
The Future Engineers Awards have been made available thanks to the generosity of the Panasonic Trust, the David Family Foundation, and we are working in partnership with Engineering Education Scheme Wales / STEM Cymru and See Science and several education and skills partners.
The Welsh Valleys Engineering Project has been established as a fully funded, five-year programme of STEM teacher CPD and student support activities which will provide STEM enhancement and enrichment opportunities to schools free of charge over a sustained period, to create an engineering ethos across schools and the local community. In partnership with Coleg Gwent and The College Merthyr Tydfil, we are reaching out to eight secondary schools and five primary schools across the Welsh valleys.
The Awards
The Panasonic Trust Future Engineers Awards and the Royal Academy of Engineering and David Family Foundation Future Engineers Awards are open for students from the eight secondary schools that are part of the Welsh Valleys Engineering Project who wish to study engineering at Coleg Gwent or Merthyr College (‘the colleges’).
Thirty Awards will be made each year; twenty will be awarded in the name of the Panasonic Trust and ten will be awarded in the name of the Royal Academy of Engineering-David Family Foundation. The Awards will be given to Year 11 students and the bursaries will be paid to successful students over their two years at college. Each award will be worth £1k in Year 12 and £1k in Year 13.