Students at West Somerset Community College have an ‘eggcellent’ chance of launching future careers in engineering and science after a fun day of activities with energy company EDF Energy.
The students competed in teams to design and make a transporter to safely carry an egg when launched, bringing to life practical learning from the company’s Year 9 ‘Involve’ programme, which includes a range of exciting new learning initiatives. EDF Energy graduates were on hand to help the teams throughout the day as well as judging the winning design.
The ‘Involve’ programme is designed to challenge perceptions about careers in engineering and construction and encourage students to explore the opportunities Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects can open up.
265 students from West Somerset Community College have already participated in the programme, with a total of over 1,000 Year 9 students due to take part across West Somerset and Sedgemoor districts.
A careers session was held for students to find out more about the new nuclear power station proposed at Hinkley Point and the wide range of jobs the project will provide. STEM subjects play a big part in the work the energy company does. Students also had the chance to gain a Bronze Crest Award from the British Science Association.
A subsequent four-day residential course will give a select group of up to 50 Year 9 students from West Somerset and Sedgemoor the chance to get even more involved. Hosted at the University of Exeter from 2 to 5 April, it centres on a real-world, industry-related project, which students complete and present with the help and support of EDF Energy graduate mentors. It also includes a variety of study and debate around sustainable energy sources, plus a series of careers talks and presentations on nuclear energy. As well as working on their STEM capabilities, the residential course helps students develop those all-important life skills. At the end of the four days, most students will have earned themselves a prestigious Silver Crest Award from the British Science Association.
West Somerset Community College student, Tommy Gibson, said: “Today’s session has been really exciting with lots of team work with our classmates and working with different and new people. I’ve learnt a lot about engineering careers and aerodynamics that I didn’t know before.”
EDF Energy graduate, Sarah Parkin, added: “It was a day like today which inspired me to become an engineer. The practical side of engineering shared through today’s session is great fun and educational for the students.”
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For more information contact Gordon Bell in the EDF Energy press office on 01278 654535.
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Notes to editors
EDF Energy
EDF Energy is one of the UK’s largest energy companies and the largest producer of low-carbon electricity, producing around one-sixth of the nation's electricity from its nuclear power stations, wind farms, coal and gas power stations and combined heat and power plants. The company supplies gas and electricity to more than 5.5 million business and residential customer accounts and is the biggest supplier of electricity by volume in Great Britain.
EDF Energy’s safe and secure operation of its eight existing nuclear power stations at sites across the country makes it the UK’s largest generator of low carbon electricity. EDF Energy is also leading the UK's nuclear renaissance and has published plans to build four new nuclear plants, subject to the right investment framework. These new plants could generate enough low carbon electricity for about 40% of Britain’s homes. They would make an important contribution to the UK’s future needs for clean, secure and affordable energy. The project is already creating business and job opportunities for British companies and workers.
In its nuclear activities EDF Energy has partnered with Centrica, which has a 20% stake in the company’s eight existing plants and in the project carrying out pre-development work for new build. Centrica also has the option to take up to 20% stakes in each of the four planned plants.
Through Our Sustainability Commitments, EDF Energy has launched one of the biggest environmental and social programmes of any British energy company and the company has since been awarded the highest ranking of Platinum Plus in Business in the Community’s 2011 Corporate Responsibility Index, the UK’s leading voluntary benchmark of corporate responsibility.
EDF is the official electricity supplier and a sustainability partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.The company is also helping its customers and others use energy more sustainably through products and initiatives such as Team Green Britain, smart meters and electric vehicle research.
EDF Energy is part of EDF Group, one of Europe’s largest power companies. The company employs around 15,000 people at locations across the UK.
For more news from EDF Energy please see www.edfenergy.com/media-centre/. To find out more about the UK's energy challenges look at www.edfenergy.com/energyfuture/
For more information on the CREST Awards: www.britishscienceassociation.org/crest
And EDF Energy careers: www.edfenergy.com/careers