Free inspiring event for young people set to hit 40,000 milestone

Business showcase to help fill engineering, science and design skills gaps

There is an estimated shortfall of more than 173,000 workers in the UK engineering, science and technology sectors, says a skills survey report by the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

The report shows that 49% of engineering businesses are experiencing difficulties with available skills available when trying to recruit.

One major event which aims to help fill the gap for local and national businesses is now in its 14th year in Scarborough – and has already led to many young people working in engineering and technical-based careers.

The Scarborough Science and Engineering Week was created to inspire young students to consider practi cal employment.

This year the event will exceed a milestone of 40,000 youngsters attending the exhibitions when 30 employers and organisations will be exhibiting at Scarborough Spa from October 10-12. Last year the total had reached 39,750 – and it looks like 3,500 more will be visiting, aged fr om seven to 19.

Organisers the Scarborough Business Ambassadors, with the support of North Yorkshire Business and Education Partnership, will present creative and rewarding opportunities in all aspects of science, design, technology, engineering a nd mathematics.

Anglo American will again be the Headline Sponsor. North Yorkshire Council is the Venue Sponsor and Transport Sponsor for schools and colleges across the Yorkshire Coast, Ryeda le and beyond.

Employers are invited to exhibit in the Employer Zone – dedicated to interactive STEM activities. Post 16-18 Education and Training Providers are invited to exhibit in the Education Zone – dedicated to providing impartial Post 1618 information on further STEM studies – supported by colleges, universities and training providers.

Provisional 2023 e vent programme:

• Tuesday October 10 : Preregistered secondary schools and colleges plus Open Evening 6pm8pm - families and young people, general public

• Wednesday October 11: Preregistered secondary schools and colleges plus Scarborough Science & Engineering Week Dinner & Awards

• Thursday October 12 : Preregistered primary schools

Exhibitors pay £700 for exhibition space, dinner ticket, your logo/ company information on the Science and Engineering Week website and publi city materials.

How the event began

• Fourteen years ago in a showroom at the HQ of Scarborough-based coachbuilders Plaxton, 420 pupils arrived for the first Scarborough Engineering Week

There is also an opportunity to sponsor one or more of four Awards, aimed at recognising and celebrating the contributions of our exhibitors. We will be inviting students, teachers and families attending the event to help us choose winners by voting for:

Best SSEW 2023 Exhibition –Visual; Best SSEW 2023 Exhibition – Most Informative; Best SSEW 2023 Exhibition – Interactive; Most Informative STEM Apprentice at the event; Nominations for the Vaugn Bulmer Award for the Most Exceptional Young Engineer (Vaugn was a director at Plaxton in Scarborough and instrumental to the success in th e early years).

The winners will be presented with a trophy during the official dinner on October 11.

Exhibitors focus on interactive, hands-on activities for the young people. Businesses interested in taking part can attend an event in person at the Spa, Scarborough on Friday Septembe r 8, 10am-11am.

Businesses interested in participating can contact Claire Healy events@ nybep.org.uk or via o n 01904 942300.

• The young students took turns in climbing into the driving seat of an old Formula 1 racing car and they clambered into a technology vehicle called MANTRA, loaned for the day, to try out its switches and screens of technical wizardry

• The event, now called Scarborough Science and Engineering Week, has become the most significant showcase to tackle a huge skills gap, and has supported by the likes of many business including Bosch, Boeing and Bentley

• It led to the creation of Scarborough University Technical College, driven by Peter Wilkinson, the then-chairman of the Scarborough Business Ambassadors and close colleagues

• The 2023 event is set to take total attendance by students from the region to more than 43,000, some of whom went on to undertake high technical degrees, corporate sponsorship or now work in sectors such as engineering, Formula 1, aerospace, digital, manufacturing, cyber and other technical fields