Earlier, this term, experts from BAE Systems visited Longcroft School to inspire students to investigate careers in engineering.
BAE Systems is a British engineering company, specialising in defence, security and aerospace work and is globally recognised as one of the most important defence contractors.
The business has a very important link to the region, with its factory in Brough, which manufacture the famous Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft.
During their lively presentation, the BAE Systems Road Show Team not only spoke about the work of the company, but also performed experiments with the help of students from Years 7 and 8.
Jerome Wilson, Project Manager for the Road Show, explained:
“We can talk about engineering as much as we like, but experiments really bring the subject matter to life. They can be fun, informative and inspiring – we hope that it made some of the students from Longcroft think about a future career in engineering and gave them all a better understanding into the work of BAE Systems, which is one of the most respected businesses in the region.”
Amy Fehrenbach (11) was in the audience and said: “It was fun and interesting – they showed us how physics play a big part in their work, and it made me think about science in a different way.”
Tyler Clark (12) also enjoyed the experience: “I learnt about what an engineer does and how important their work is.
The experiments were cool, especially the ones involving electricity. They also told us how BAE has helped the Olympics and RAF.”
However, this is not the first-time Longcroft has worked with BAE Systems. Every year, as part of the Year 10 Work Experience Programme, students spend a week in a real workplace to get a taste of what life after education is like. The company, which is committed to supporting the wider community, has been generous enough to provide a work placement, which proved to be a great success.
Fiona Hitchcock from BAE Systems explained: “It is marvelous to be able to provide students with the opportunity to experience a week in the life of an Engineer at BAE Systems. During the week, we aim to demonstrate the array of skills required, the importance of working as part of a team, and how every person plays a part in the success of our business.”
Longcroft’s Work Experience Coordinator, Jan Nichols, added:
“We had some great feedback from all the businesses our work experience students were placed with, but we were particularly proud of the students who received some glowing feedback from BAE Systems.”
“It’s a pleasure to work in this way with such a prestigious company, and we hope that the work experience opportunity and road show have inspired some of our students of today to become the leading engineers of tomorrow.”
