Cash shines light on science and technology in lighthouse project

It is hoped Perth and Kinross pupils will be motivated to become engineers, after a lighthouse-inspired project was given £10,700 from a £150,000 funding pot.

A partnership between Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) and BT’s Little Lighthouse Project aims to reach 1,200 primary pupils in the Highlands, Western Isles, Perth and Kinross and Scottish Borders.

The initiative uses the context of lighthouses to introduce “Little Engineers” to various science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) concepts including electricity, light, sounds and computing science.

The cash has come from the Digital Xtra fund, launched in 2016 following investment from the Scottish Government.

Minister for Further and Higher Education and Science Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Stem subjects can open the door to significant and wideranging career opportunities; as well as improving literacy, numeracy and confidence, they can also provide the specialist knowledge and skills necessary to work in the ever-increasing Stem sectors of the economy and continue Scotland’s proud history of excellence and innovation in Stem.

“This government is determined to close the digital skills gap faced by all sectors across the economy, which is why we are extremely proud to fund Digital Xtra through the digital skills investment plan.

“Initiatives like this are absolutely key to inspiring more young people to pursue a career in Stem and I’d like to congratulate all those who have been successful in securing funding for their projects, I look forward to seeing the end results.”