Designs on the future ofWales With the number of patents granted each year to inventors in Wales rising almost 20% since 2015, Steve Howells, WJEC’s Design and Technology Subject Officer, explains why we should invest in young people’s creativity to nurtu
THE number of patents is a litmus test for innovation in Wales which is one of our country’s key drivers for economic growth and job creation.
It’s important to encourage talent of tomorrow to bolster creativity, putting Wales on the map as an innovative country.
The first glimmer of design technology starts at primary school, making rockets out of cereal boxes in the classroom through to developing and designing cutting edge consumer products at university.
We try to nurture talent and showcase the products our students work on at home and in the classroom. Inspiring young minds to be creative is a vital part of generating a skilled workforce for Wales’ future.
We should be proud of our rich heritage of inventors in Wales, stretching across hundreds of years and as many industries, from early pioneers in medicine, mathematics and meteorology to the inventors of mail order and flight before the Wright brothers even left the ground.
As an exam board, WJEC is focusing on adapting our design and technology courses to keep up to date with the modern demands entrepreneurs and inventors face, while maintaining an element of creative
AROUND this time of year, many of us are welcoming our student children back home for the Christmas break.
They are arriving in cars, buses and on trains with backpacks overflowing with dirty washing and general student paraphernalia.
As ever, there is some sensible advice on-line for students at this time of year.
They are encouraged to get their essays finished before they set off rather than trying to complete them in the family home with younger siblings getting in the way.
They are also told to empty the fridge which results in us parents freedom. Students are tested by completing written examinations, researching recent trends and designing a product from a specific brief. Students are required to analyse existing products to look at existing issues, electronic components, packaging and marketing materials to accompany a product. We give students an inclusive approach to understanding the basics of design, and equip them with the necessary tools to carve a career out of inventing and entrepreneurship.
We’ve also had Welsh recognition internationally when Swansea inventors Robert Clarke and John Lockwood’s stretching machine, ‘sira’, won a gold medal at the 2010 World Intellectual Property Organisation international exhibition in Geneva.
The pair were named ‘best inventors’ at the awards for their invention called the ‘sira’ which delivers stretching exercises for people recovering from sports injuries.
The machine, which is designed to stretch muscles in seven different ways and relay data to computers and smartphones, has become a huge success in the world of medical physiotherapy, being used by injury therapists and Welsh regional rugby team, The Ospreys.
We’re giving young inventors of tomorrow a platform to showcase their inventions at this years’ Innovation Awards, a Welsh Government and WJEC joint venture which aims to encourage young people to invent new products using what they’ve learnt in their design technology GCSE and A level classes.
It’s not just seasoned experimenters and large companies creating new products. Over the past 18 years, the Innovation Awards has showcased a wide range of inventions, each created by young people who have noticed a gap in the consumer market.
We’ve seen everything from fencing machinery aimed at making life easier for farmers in rural Wales to a dual purpose wheelchair intended for sufferers of MS and a portable drinks carbonator to bring flat drinks back to life with a fizz.
These young inventors are presented with a problem and solve it by offering a fresh outlook through their own initiative and creativity.
New businesses sparked from successful inventions have a knock-on effect in the local and national economy and helping to put Wales on the map as a home of creative industries.
According to the Intellectual Property Office, there was 72 patents granted in 2016/2017 with a Welsh inventor so now is the time to harness Wales’ innovation potential by promoting design among the next generation of entrepreneurs and inventors.
With so many young people having technology at their fingertips, events like the Innovation Awards help breathe a new lease of life into Wales’ creative sector.
The impact of design and technology on the curriculum means young people have a way to broaden their imagination, creativity and, most importantly, improve their ability to work independently, preparing them for their future careers.
Investing in the next generation of inventors is a vital part of revitalising our creative industry in Wales and it starts by encouraging young people to believe their ideas can become a reality.
By giving them the tools to create their inventions, whether it’s through coursework or competitions, we’re devoting resources to a whole generation of great innovators.