TeenTech comes to Telford
Our first TeenTech Telford event brought the innovators of tomorrow to the birthplace of the industrial revolution.
Around 250 year 8 students from across the borough were at the Enginuity museum on Tuesday 11 October in the Ironbridge Gorge for a day which brought over 30 local and national companies, their brightest engineers and scientists and cutting edge technology to help young people see how they could continue the tech revolution.
CEO Maggie Philbin hosted the event and said: “Today is a springboard for those young people.We hope it makes them understand that the world of science and technology is a very, very big place and that they belong in it. But we also want them to carry on exploring some of the exciting ideas that they may have started to have today.
“Telford is quite rightly proud to be the fastest growing town in the West Midlands and we want to make sure that all students have the right skills for tomorrow’s world.”
For the students and their teachers, it was an interactive hands-on event to help them better understand the real and local career opportunities on offer in the area of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). For the companies present, it was a chance for them to explain to the students what it takes to be part of their high-tech world and inspire the young people to pursue careers in their companies.
Activities included solving electric circuit problems, exploring space through virtual reality, designing apps and building a battery-powered vehicle to race on a 30ft track.
Maggie explained all the students who attended are now invited to enter the annual ‘TeenTech’ awards. She said: “After a day when they have seen all sorts of things that perhaps they didn’t realise existed or had thought about before, they are then encouraged to develop their own projects to make life better, simpler or easier. There’s no reason why the next game changing piece of tech shouldn’t come from the Ironbridge Gorge rather than Silicon Valley”
TeenTech Telford was the first of its kind in the region. As lead sponsor and project co-ordinators of the event , Telford & Wrekin Council was instrumental in bringing it to Telford.
Councillor Gilly Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Education, Employment & Regeneration said: “It’s fantastic to see young people engaging with business like this, and taking part in it with hands-on activities. There are so many businesses in Telford which use these STEM skills and so many opportunities for our young people.
“It’s really important that young people in Telford and Wrekin get to know what job opportunities there are in our Town and are inspired to achieve their full potential. There was something for everyone yesterday and the Council look forward to building on the event to enable our schools and colleges and businesses to work even more closely together.
“Thank you to TeenTech for coming to Telford and to all those who supported us yesterday – our local businesses, sponsors and volunteers. . Without them it wouldn’t be possible.
“It’s a testament to the collaboration between local businesses, schools and colleges and Telford & Wrekin Council.”
Watch this space for the next TeenTech event in Telford. More pics coming soon.
For further information please contact [email protected]
Pics courtesy of 360Skylens.co.uk
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