Engineering plan for pupils

Pupils at Kinross High School are amongst the first in the UK to take part in a new project which aims to encourage more young people to take up careers involving science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

Global consultancy WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is helping to deliver the programme, called Design Engineer Construct, and experts visited the school to speak about subjects related to engineering to show how diverse a career it can be.

WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff senior engineer Sarah Piscitelli said:“We’re thrilled to be involved in delivering Design Engineer Construct to Kinross High School and hope to extend our sponsorship to another school next year.

“Too many students are failing to choose STEM subjects as they go through school and there aren’t enough role models, especially females, to inspire them.

“We were delighted with the reception from the girls and boys at Kinross and it was great to see their enthusiasm during the day.

“I’m also sure many of them will go on to become the industry leaders of the future.”

Design and Technology teacher Richard Smith, who is leading the Design Engineer Construct programme, said:“The benefits to the pupils are enormous. The course produces young people with real-world practical experience and highly desirable employability skills.”The introduction of the Design Engineer Construct course is, I believe, the most exciting development the Scottish curriculum has seen for some time. The benefits to the pupils are enormous.”