Hoare Lea
occupational and industrial knowledge.
It’s been great to feel that I can help to
make a difference to the needs of young
people.”
Anirban is no exception. Other
engineers have found the experience
useful too, helping them improve the
way they present information to different
audiences, and helping them address
how they go about their work.
The expanded scheme is now
seeking new volunteers to offer young
people a positive and realistic view of
engineering. This can be valuable when
choosing which A-Levels to take as
few know about day to day life as an
engineer. Many also have questions
regarding which qualifications to take
to get into engineering at university and
where to find vacancies. Nicola Lyons,
“I have found that the students
are generally interested in what it is
senior mechanical
like to work in a design team and the
engineer, London: “I
sorts of systems we put into buildings,
especially when they can relate this
have really enjoyed
information to a particular building,” said
discussing the
Frances Rogers, senior engineer with
Hoare Lea. “They are also interested in
prospects available
what subjects I studied at A level and
to young engineers
university – this hopefully helps them
to make their own decisions. They also ... Engineering is
have more general questions about
what it is like to go to university and
hard, but it’s fun,
how I chose what to study and where
and we have worked
to go.”
While engineers find the scheme
on some great
rewarding, Hoare Lea was aware from
projects that can
the start that it had to be easy to take
part. This led to their partnership with
really inspire future
the Science, Technology, Engineering
generations.”
and Mathematics Network (STEMNET)
which helps arrange visits to schools
and takes care of administration
matters such as CRB checks, which are important to ensure engineers knew
necessary for people undertaking this what they would face in schools so they
type of work in schools. could prepare their presentations and
“STEMNET undertakes the CRB responses.
checks for us and provides us with an Natasha Cragg, head of HR at
induction before we go into any schools. Hoare Lea, told Impact: “We put a lot
They then provide us with opportunities of time and effort in to deciding what
to visit schools in our area. These information and support we would need
opportunities originate from schools to provide to people who got involved.
asking STEMNET for an engineer or This was to get staff interested and to
scientist to attend an event, so they are make sure they had everything they
events where the schools believe our needed to maximise the impact they
input will be really valuable,” explained had when they visited schools. While
Frances Rogers. “I think we would find trialling the initiative, the pilot team
it difficult to attend these events without learnt a lot about how to effectively
being members of STEMNET, unless communicate with students and the
we already had connections with the types of questions that would be
schools.” asked. We then fed this information
Indeed planning was a key concern in to the guidance we now provide to
when the firm started the project. It was employees.”
February/March 2010 | 2
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