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Students look to the future S


ix hundred young learners got a real insight into jobs and future careers when they attended an ‘Energise Your


Future’ event at South Gloucestershire & Stroud College’s Berkeley Science and Technology Park. The young learners from 12 schools in Gloucestershire were given inspirational advice from one of the region’s top young engineers, Lucy Ackland, who started life as an apprentice with Renishaw, where she is now a project manager at 28. The STEM event (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) was aimed at inspiring young people into studying these subjects and realising the enormous opportunities for future jobs and careers in the county and the South West region. Lucy, who joined Renishaw as an engineering apprentice at 16, and won the Women’s Engineering Society prize in 2014, said: “I think the event gave the students a real in depth insight into the kinds of exciting work that is going on in the STEM areas, and the opportunities to meet the people involved and understand from them about their careers. “STEM careers are challenging, fun, dynamic


and exciting for males and females alike. The students were bright, engaged, enthused and I was honoured to meet them.” John Walker, head of schools engagement for


South Gloucestershire & Stroud College, said: “As someone involved in education, there is nothing more gratifying than to see the lights of understanding and wonder turned on in the eyes of a young person as they discover something for the first time.


20 insight JULY/AUGUST 2016 “As 600 students made their first motor from


scratch, pumped a model nuclear reactor introducing energy or programmed a robot to speak, ’lights’ were going on. There was a vivid realisation how much STEM forms part of their daily lives and their future prosperity.” The Energise Your Future event was the


result of a partnership between Business West, South Gloucestershire & Stroud College, the University of Gloucestershire and Horizon.


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