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21 May 2018
RS Components (RS) the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc (LSE:ECM), the global distributor for engineers, took its mobile interactive technology truck, Titan II, to St Swithun’s School in Winchester this week to help inspire students around STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects. The event also included a technology activity to encourage students to develop design solutions to tackle the homelessness problem.
St Swithun’s welcomed the Titan II truck – a new 35-tonne mobile experience from RS that was launched with the mission of educating and inspiring the next generation of engineers through visits to schools, colleges and universities. The aim is to help address a skills shortage in the engineering sector by encouraging the uptake of STEM subjects among young people, especially females, who are underrepresented in the industry.
In addition to its own students, St Swithun’s invited 100 pupils from local primary schools to tour the truck, giving them hands-on experience with some of the latest technology used in industry and a practical understanding of the reasons to consider a career in engineering. The children were invited as part of the St Swithun’s Big Sleep Out Shelter Build day, which is being run in support of Trinity Winchester’s Big Sleep Out. In small groups, children designed, planned, and built shelters. The most creative and best-structured will be slept in by Trinity volunteers.
Katie Sawey, a lower-sixth form student at St Swithun’s, said: “As an aspiring architect, I found the Titan II truck inspirational. To see some of the technology I will use in the future, from 3D printers to augmented and virtual reality, was very exciting. It was great to see how the principles we learn about in maths and science lessons lead to such incredible advancements in the engineering industry. Many of the students here were fascinated by the engineering on show.”
Headmistress of St Swithun’s School Jane Gandee, added: “Very many of our students choose to continue studying STEM subjects at A-level and go on to do so at university and beyond. The visit of Titan II has been an excellent opportunity for all students throughout the school to engage with cutting-edge technology and to understand the career opportunities that STEM subjects open up.”
Laura Giddings, RS Education Events Manager, added: “The issue of a skills shortage in engineering is one that has been discussed widely and recognised increasingly in recent years. At RS, we have been passionate for many years about this cause, and have been involved in numerous initiatives to inspire tomorrow’s engineers. Our truck campaign, which was launched in 2016 with Titan II’s predecessor, Titan, demonstrates our commitment and we’re delighted the pupils at St Swithun’s School were highly engaged with the technologies the truck has to offer, and hope this has gone some way to inspiring tomorrow’s engineers.”
This visit is just one of many Titan II will make this year, and the mission coincides with the government’s Year of Engineering campaign, which runs throughout 2018.
