Free places available on virtual STEM courses for students in Wales to become future innovators

South Wales Institute of Engineers Educational Trust (SWIEET) is offering young people in Wales the chance to deep-dive into the exciting world of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and develop their skills to become future engineers, through fully funded places on a range of courses.

Created by children’s STEM education charity, The Smallpeice Trust, the virtual courses are available to students from Welsh non-selective state schools and are hosted in partnership with leading universities. The courses will provide students with practical skills and the opportunity to learn from industry experts across a range of STEM subjects, from marine engineering to astrophysics, coding and electronics and humanitarian engineering.

With a shared vision for supporting young people from all backgrounds to thrive in education and achieve their full potential, The Smallpeice Trust has partnered with SWIEET, who will be sponsoring 20 places on the programme.

Students can pick from any one of the 15 online engineering courses, which will take place over several days from July-August.

The programmes allow young people a unique glimpse into the fascinating world of engineering and the different career paths available, through fun and hands-on activities, helping to develop their problem-solving, communication and team-work abilities. Students can explore a varied range of sectors and develop specific skills, including:

• Learning how to operate ships and underwater vehicles with the Future Marine Engineering course, hosted by the University of Southampton
• Analysing railway crashworthiness and designing a safe vehicle for passengers, with the University of Birmingham
• Using interactive software to build and test infrastructure, investigating how civil engineers create cleaner, safer and more energy-efficient cities

The interactive courses further provide students with knowledge and experiences that can be added to CVs and UCAS applications, helping to make their applications stand out.

Dr Kevin P Stenson, CEO of The Smallpeice Trust, said:

“It’s fantastic to have the support of SWIEET in enabling more students from Wales to take part in our virtual engineering courses and benefit from hands-on learning experience.

“This past year we have all seen the positive impact of science, technology, engineering, maths and innovation in helping us solve complex challenges and make a difference in society. Still, there is a significant skills gap in the engineering sector with an annual shortage of 124,000 engineers.

“It’s essential that we provide young people, who are the key to a brighter future, with accessible opportunities throughout their education to develop and nurture their engineering talent, so that they can become the innovators of tomorrow. In particular, our aim is to create experiences that support more girls and students from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop their STEM confidence and career aspirations. Extensive education is needed across schools for pupils, teachers and families to realise this and demonstrate that engineering is for everyone.”

Dr Jarmila Davies from SWIEET, said:

“The primary role of the South Wales Institute of Engineers Educational Trust (SWIEET) is to promote engineering and I am pleased to say that we have been involved with The Smallpeice Trust for many years. This year we are delighted to offer fully funded places to young people attending a non-selective state school in Wales to attend a summer engineering course. These courses are offered by The Smallpeice Trust on a wide range of topics, for Years 8 – 12. We are keen to provide young people with opportunities in which they can develop their full potential to ENGINEER TOMORROW.”

For more information and to find out more about the different online engineering courses available, please visit: www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk/timetable

If you are interested in signing up for a SWIEET fully-funded place on one of the courses, please use one of the following codes when applying:

BOYS PLACES: SWIEETM2021

GIRLS PLACES: SWIEETF2021

Places are available for non-selective state school students and will be allocated on a first come first serve basis against certain criteria.