UTC Swindon have shown their skills in a national game aimed at encouraging more young people to apply for civil engineering at university or apprenticeship level.
The UTC team achieved the third highest score in the UK after completing the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) CityZen Award game.
This game sees school teams complete virtual challenges that mirror the way professional civil engineers collaborate and problem-solve.
The four Year 13 students studying engineering and IT, calling themselves DramaAlertNation, competed against more than 500 students nationwide to achieve a high score and win £200 to share with the college.
One of the top scoring students, speaking on behalf of the team, said: "I am delighted to have come so far in the competition. It came as quite a shock, as we weren’t expecting to achieve one of the highest scores in the UK. Could say we got lucky! Maybe, but I am so proud to be part of such a successful team."
Neil Pouney, Head of School at UTC Swindon, added: “As a university technical college, the students are used to tackling real-world challenges set by employers. They took to the CityZen Award game with typical enthusiasm!”
An ICE STEM Ambassador worked with students to support and advise them throughout the process and provide a deeper insight into the civil engineering profession and industry.
Now in its second year, the ICE CityZen Award is said to already be having a measurable impact on the students who participate. Of the 540 students who took part last year, one third said they were interested in civil engineering as a potential course or future career at the beginning of the competition.
By the end of the experience, nearly 80% of students who took part in CityZen said they would consider civil engineering as a career. The competition's reach has nearly doubled (45%) since it launched in 2021, with 982 students taking part in 2022, bringing the total number of student competitors who have taken part to 1,522.
The award is a two-part competition aimed at 16 to 18-year-olds in full-time education.
Part one is a digital game in which students tackle real-life inspired civil engineering challenges. The students then apply what they have learned in part two to create a video submission, pitching an idea to improve their local community.
This time, the ICE CityZen overall gold award went to a team from Hillhead High School, Glasgow, for their video submission on plans to improve connectivity in the Scottish city with a new tram line.
Séan Harris, ICE’s Director of Membership said: "It was truly a pleasure to judge this year's entries. If this is the future of the civil engineering profession, we are in good hands! Well done to the winners and all who took part this year.”
Organisers say it is the second time that Wiltshire students have shone in the competition. Last year, a team from St John’s Marlborough School won the gold award after completing the digital game and presenting a video on their ideas for local affordable eco-housing.
Entries for the 2023 CityZen Award will open later this year and more Wiltshire schools are being encouraged to participate.
Your Comments
Be the first to comment on this article
Login or Register to post a comment on this article