Students showcased the best of their engineering skills when the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) national engineering challenge final was hosted at ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ this week.
The top final five schools from across the country were at the Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC) on Thursday June 29 for the IET’s Faraday®National Final.
Students from Fallibroome Academy in Cheshire scooped the IET engineer prize, securing £1,000 for their school.
This year’s challenge had tasked teams to design a prototype that could support UKRI’s Future Flight Challenge with regards to accessibility and ease of use, safety and impact on the environment. The winning team had designed a prototype receiver box with pressure pad for drone deliveries at hospitals.
The other competing teams were from Sandringham School and Thomas Alleyne Academy – both in Hertfordshire - The Gilberd School in Essex and The Corbet School in Shropshire.
Professor Graham Braithwaite, Director of Transport Systems at Cranfield University, said: “It was fantastic to welcome these enthusiastic and talented students to Cranfield.
“Engineering is a fascinating and exciting career option, and we hope that many of them will be inspired to follow this path. We warmly congratulate them and perhaps we will see some of them studying here at Cranfield in the future!”
Natalie Moat, IET Faraday ® Education Manager, said: “Students who took part in the IET Faraday ® Challenge Days this year have experienced working as an engineer through hands-on and practical engagement with real-life challenges relating to UKRI’s Future Flight Challenge. The quality of the students’ work throughout has been fantastic and it was an extremely close final – I’d like to congratulate Fallibroome Academy on winning!”
A total of 176 events took place across the UK to host the 2022-2023 IET Faraday ® Challenge Days.
The final was judged by Michelle Richmond, Director of Membership and Professional Development at the IET, Ama Frimpong, IET Young Women Engineer of the Year 2022, Vicki Murdie, Innovation Lead at UKRI’s Future Flight Challenge, Amy Camp, Innovation Lead at UKRI’s Future Flight Challenge, and Adrian Cole, Programme Manager at DARTeC.
The event aims to encourage more young people to study and consider careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) by using creativity, innovation and problem-solving skills.
