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Shape the Future
Over the past 20 years the engineering
community has witnessed a variety of campaigns, projects and
initiatives aimed at improving the perception of engineering,
in particular targeting young people. The Royal Academy of
Engineering launched the Shape the Future
campaign in 2005 and it is now the banner under which the
engineering community has agreed to work together to improve
the promotion, delivery and information systems that will
provide better coordinated support for engineering and
technology in schools and colleges.
As the promotional tool of technology
and engineering in schools, Shape the Future is all
about maximising impact, creating leverage and bringing coherence
to the crowded marketplace. The campaign is now owned by the
wider technology and engineering communities and the steering
group includes representatives from science education and
STEM networks. However we have to engage with more schools
that do not have engineering or technology on their radar
screens if we are to overturn the dearth of young people
who choose engineering as a career.
Campaign Update
STEPS at Work
The partnership with teachers is crucial
to influencing more young people to consider an engineering
career and this has been further enhanced by a joint programme
with the National Education Business Partnerships Network (NEBPN)
to launch Shape the Future STEPS at Work. Each
education business partnership is able to provide teachers with professional
development opportunities through focused business placements
with industry.
The programme operates across primary and
secondary schools, plus FE colleges, and targets science, technology,
engineering and maths (STEM) teacher placements. Placements are
also available to careers specialists and an objective of the
programme is to ensure all STEM teachers are aware of the latest
career opportunities for their students.
STEPS at Work is now in its second year and is
operating across seven of the English regions plus a further pilot
programme in Wales. For more details visit
www.nebpn.org
and click PDP.
The Big Draw
 The Shape the Future campaign supported the
national launch of the October 2007 Big Draw event and also offered a
national challenge called Designing for Sustainability. Across the UK,
25 organisations delivered the challenge to a variety of community groups,
schools and tourist centres, many of whom would not
normally interact with the
world of engineering. Events were held at diverse venues including,
Victoria Baths (Manchester), ss Great Britain and the Architecture Centre
(both Bristol), National Space Centre (Leicester), Souter Lighthouse
(Tyne & Wear), Royal College of Art (London), Layer Marney Tower (NT Essex),
Groundwork Kent and Medway, Fleet Air Arm Museum (Yeovilton) etc.
The Big Draw is a month long series of events throughout October
and this was the first time that engineering had been on the menu
of opportunities. To register for October 2008 and access more details visit
www.campaignfordrawing.org/home/index.aspx.
 The Independent-Bosch
Technology Horizons Award essay competition is
administered by the Academy under the Shape the
Future banner and has now completed its third
year. The essay theme this year was - How is
technology and engineering driving change in a
country of your choice? The presentation of
awards celebration were held at the The Royal
Academy of Engineering on the 4 July with guest
presenters Bill O’Riordan FREng and Richard Noble
OBE.
The winner in the 14 – 18 age
group was Christopher Cubitt from Ilford County High
School, with runner up Thomas Shelbourn from Oakham
School. Highly commended were; Daniel O’Connor Saint Olave’s Grammar School Kent, Alex Docherty Hornsea
Sixth Form College, Fiona Robertson Haysfield School
Bath, Beth Squire Gryphon School Sherborne, and
Jonathan Stimmler JFS Harrow.
The winer in the 19 – 24 age
group was Carmel Digweed from the University of
Sheffield, with runner up Jack Sidey from the
University of Exeter. Highly commended were; Caitlin
Pearson University of Durham, Michael Ellender Keele
University, Alejandro Grabovetsky University of
Cambridge, Christopher Maidment University of
Sheffield, and Christopher Ince University of
Sheffield.
The essay competition will be
launched again in September with great cash prizes
for all the shortlisted students plus prizes for
teachers and schools.
Future engineering careers magazine
The relationship with Independent Educational Publishing has
led to the publication of Future, a careers magazine published twice per year
that goes to every secondary school, FE college and university careers
department in the UK. Featuring many different engineering disciplines
the magazine it is aimed at 14+ students and is available free from the Academy.
Contact info@shapethefuture.org.uk to obtain your free copy.
Directory of engineering and technology
To help bring coherence to the promotion of engineering
and technology in schools, Shape the Future has produced a directory of
initiatives that will enable teachers to identify the programmes and competitions
that can enhance their subjects in the classroom.
View a pdf of the directory (483KB)
or to receive a hard copy contact info@shapethefuture.org.uk.
Engineering case study booklet
 Tsz Fok (pictured) was a first year Oxford engineering
undergraduate who produced a booklet in 2007 that inspires youngsters to view
engineering as an exciting career option. With a grant from NESTA and support
from Shape the Future, he interviewed well known people in the public eye,
and asked them what they wanted to see developed over the next 50 years.
Tsz's booklet (823KB)
has been so popular that it has now been reprinted. Tragically, Tsz was killed in a
bicycle accident just weeks after publication. His passion for engineering is captured
in this booklet and his family wishes it to be used by young people in his memory.
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