The graduate team at BAE Systems is required to plan and run a STEM Challenge Day for secondary school students, held at the FIVE Arena in Farnborough. The day began with introductions to the team and their career path and role at BAE Systems. Students learned about the land, sea, air and cyber engineering that BAE Systems designs for use by the military and businesses. BAE Systems also designed ventilator equipment for the NHS during the Covid pandemic. Staff from SATRO Education Charity, who supported and helped to organise the event, spoke about the importance of STEM to everyone’s future: an excellent motivational starter!
Then the challenge began. Each team of students had a £25 million budget to design a vehicle that could be used to rescue personnel from a high risk area. The students allocated team roles, for example, Financial Director, Project Manager, Marketing, Quality Assurance and began to design their vehicle. The BAE Graduates had provided a manual and a supplies station and were on hand to guide the teams.
After a morning of designing and testing we broke for a pizza lunch before last minute tweaks to vehicles.
During the afternoon students presented their design to two panels and then tested their vehicle on the track set out by the graduate team; they were looking for stability across rough terrain, speed and maneuverability to rescue stranded personnel (eggs) and exit the danger area effectively.
Peter Cullum, Deputy Mayor (and Bohunt Farnborough governor) concluded the event with a short, but very powerful speech about the importance of science in all areas of life, giving the example that navigation began with guidance by the stars and has led to the accurate GPS systems we all take for granted today. He spoke about the speed of technological advancement in the last 50 years and the need for more future scientists, mathematicians and engineers to drive technology that will help solve 21st century challenges.
Our students had a fantastic day and met some truly inspirational young people – people barely six years older than them. That is powerful.
