Primary Engineer

from ConstructionWorX - Spring 2020

by Construction Equipment Association

Hard Data

STEM by Stealth in Peterborough!

The CEA and the Plantworx event have been supporting the Primary and Secondary Engineer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) programme since 2017, alongside CEA members and Plantworx exhibitors, when the inaugural collaborative ‘celebration event’ took place at the show.

This year the CEA’s has formed a new working partnership with Primary Engineer, Kids Country, the education arm of the East of England Agricultural Society, and the AEA (Agricultural Engineers Association), the voice of the agricultural and outdoor power equipment sectors.

The Primary Engineer STEM programme, alongside its new partners, is working with primary schools in the Peterborough and surrounding areas to deliver a whole-class, curriculum-mapped engineering project, this year’s event will focus on an agricultural machinery theme for Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils.

The programme began with a course, which took place last month at the East of England Arena, and was attended by around 20 teachers, who following an enjoyable day of training, left with all the skills and materials to engage with their pupils in this exciting STEM project.

Using mathematics, literacy and design technology teachers will encourage their pupils to design and construct an agricultural themed vehicle. The safe and correct use of tools and materials is also encouraged and for Key Stage 2 children, basic electrics will also be taught.

The ‘celebration event’, where the participating school teams will come together to showcase their projects and take part in the competition, will be hosted at the East of England Arena on Tuesday 16th June 2020. Rob Oliver, CEA chief executive said, “Primary Engineer was started some 12-years ago. This means that some of the pioneer young school students who ‘got with the programme’ then are now, we hope, enjoying burgeoning careers in engineering. Primary Engineer is all about planting seeds to encourage an interest in practical problem solving using basic engineering principles. By teaming up with the CEA and our partners, both teachers and students can benefit from the experience. What is certain is that both the construction and agricultural equipment industries in the future will continue to need skilled and motivated people to make and tend the machines that build Britain, no doubt with a little help from robots and artificial intelligence.”

Sandra Lauridsen, education manager for Kids Country, said: “We are really happy that Primary Engineer, CEA and the AEA have partnered with us to bring technology and engineering in agriculture into local schools. This project builds on a new technology focus we had at our flagship event, the Food and Farming Day, in 2019. We know there is a real appetite for understanding this side of agriculture.”

Sandra continued: “The really exciting thing about this programme is that teachers will be able to deliver this project for years to come after their training, making generations of children aware of the opportunities to enter careers in agriculture that they may not have thought about before.”

Ruth Bailey, CEO and director general at AEA, also commented on the new collaboration, “As the Agricultural Engineer Association, we are delighted to be involved in the CEA Primary Engineer Programme 2020. The focus for us is to attract new engineers to the industry and bring Agriculture to the younger generation as a possible career path. This is an exciting hands-on way to demonstrate to young children what the Agricultural Engineering sector can offer both in terms of technology and a great path to a future career. It’s a really positive way of showcasing the industry to children.” ■

There are sponsorship opportunities available for this years’ CEA and Primary Engineer project and the CEA would be delighted if Members and associated companies would like to be involved. Please contact Louise Carney on 07730 617258 or email louise@louise-carney.co.uk for further details.