“Be inspired!” was the challenge to students from Worcestershire LEP chairman Peter Pawsey as he declared the Sci-Tech event open at the Redditch campus of NEW College.
The chairman of the county’s local enterprise partnership said he hoped the day-long celebration of science and technology would lead students attending to help alleviate a lack of scientists that he said was holding back the UK’s economy.
“I am fully aware that there is a dire shortage of scientists. Businesses in Worcestershire are telling me they are being constrained because they can’t find the right people with the right skills and qualifications.
“Today is an opportunity for you to see how scientists work in local business and industry and how you could make a difference,” he said.
The programme which was organised by Peter Hill of Rolls Royce, was supported by 12 Midlands companies including HME Technology, Zytek Automotive, West Midlands Police Forensic Science team, Honeywell-Hymatic and TIB Chemicals.
The day features presentations by guest speakers such as Dr Graeme Jones, the chemical ecologist who took students through the world of smells and pheremones in his presentation “Sex, Flies and Smelly Sticky Tape”, and the Rock Doctor, Dr Mark Lewney, who uses rock guitar licks to explain superstring theory – and has been described as a cross between Einstein and Jimi Hendrix.
As well as demonstrations and presentations, the students also faced challenges from Imagineering entitled “Hydraulics for frolics”, a competition in assembling and operating an hydraulic arm, a forensic challenge set by the West Midlands Police and a chemistry challenge involving chromatography.
Organiser Peter Hill hailed the day as an outstanding success.
“I was at school at what is now called Trinity High School in Redditch, I read engineering at university and I now work for Rolls Royce in Derby.
“We wanted to show students the very real connection between school, study and work.
“Today was about giving students an insight into what scientists do in industry, and we hope it has inspired those who attended to see the opportunities out there,” he said.
Julian Davis, managing director of HME Technology in Bromsgrove, who backed Sci-Tech, said he thought the day’s programme was a brilliant way of showing students in a fun but thoughtful manner how science and technology was at the very heart of the best of British industry.
“The real value in business is having ideas, innovation and the knowledge and skills to turn those ideas into goods that can come to market and be sold.
“Other nations may operate off a lower cost base than Britain, but we still lead the way in the scientific application of design and technology into making these innovative ideas work, and a pipeline of scientists and engineers is absolutely vital to ensuring that we keep our leading role in the world,” he said.
NEW College principal John Callaghan welcomed WLEP chairman Peter Pawsey and the guest presenters and students taking part and said he hoped the event would reinforce the college’s relationship with industry.