Wakefield based automated machinery provider Stelram has recently been presented with The Engineering Education Scheme Award for its work with Wakefield Girls High School. The company has also met the requirements for the Industrial Cadet Framework and achieved Gold Level standard for the 2016 Engineering Education Scheme (EES) programme.
The Engineering Education Scheme is part of the Engineering Development Trust (EDT) group of initiatives and aims to give STEM pupils the opportunity to get hands-on experience and to learn from real-life engineering projects. The six-month scheme provides pupils with in-depth involvement that will enable them to make an informed decision about their future studies and career.
Bob Hinchcliffe, technical director at Stelram, and a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, has mentored pupils in the programme for the past two years.
“Collaborating with young students interested in a career in STEM is a very rewarding job”, said Bob. “The Engineering Education Scheme plays a fundamental role in reducing the skills shortage UK industry is facing. We need to act now so that a decade down the line we have fresh faces willing to work hard and get UK manufacturing back to where it should be.
“We are thrilled with the accolades we’ve received as a company, but the pupils are the ones most deserving of praise! The WGHS students won the Pupils Choice Award, which was judged by the other teams in the Northern region. Their dedication and interest in engineering is truly remarkable and I hope to welcome them all again at Stelram for future projects”.
The specific project that the students were involved in was based on an existing commercial requirement from one of Stelram’s clients, Scratch Foods. This company, which is based near Market Rasen, had identified the need for an automated food-packing machine that complied with UK regulations and guidelines regarding the handling of fresh foods.
Every member of the team supervised by Bob Hinchcliffe took on a specific role – research, planning, and project management as well as third party communications – to deliver the project on time and on budget.
In 2017, the group will be attending a residential workshop at Lancaster University where they will be testing the new packing machine using the specialist university workshop facilities.
