Save lives through engineering

Misunderstanding has long plagued the engineering industry, something we in the demolition sector know only too well.

For years, there has been misconception among school children that science, technology engineering and maths (STEM) subjects are boring or geeky – and certainly not something you want to profess to enjoying around your mates.

Higher up the education ladder, the barriers are much the same. Courses are seen to be long and hard, requiring high grades to succeed.

Luckily, a new initiative has been launched by the Tomorrow’s Engineers career group.

The 'Save Lives As An Engineer' poster and accompanying teacher booklet are for use with Key Stages 3 and 4. Related to the theme of disaster relief, the resources demonstrate the different ways engineers can be employed in rebuilding and revitalising communities affected by natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods and avalanches.

The humanitarian aspect to engineering is often overlooked, and the materials show both girls and boys that a career in the sector can be very rewarding, potentially saving thousands of lives.

The teacher booklet presents classroom discussion topics, links to other useful resources and curriculum-linked lesson plans with student worksheets (KS3 Physics and Design and Technology).

C&D Founder John Woodward has committed a lot of time to promoting demolition as a career choice to school children by taking part in the government-backed initiative Inspiring The Future and writing and publishing his own children’s book called My Dad Does Demolition.

“There is a huge skills gap in the demolition industry as a whole, particularly when it comes to young people. Last year’s announcement of the UK’s first demolition degree was a step in the right direction, but now initiatives such as SaveLives can supplement this by promoting engineering to children of a younger age,” explained John.

He continued: “Many children today are intent on becoming footballers or pop stars, which is fine, but there are also a large percentage of youngsters spending hours on end playing construction-based games like Minecraft. This is the audience we should be looking to attract.”

“If school initiatives can help children understand that there is a direct connection between games like Minecraft and the basic principles of engineering, we may be able to inspire the next generation.”

More information on the SaveLives resources can be found on the Tomorrow’s Engineers website: http://www.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk/savelives/