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    Winner of the National Science & Engineering Week - Engineering Event 2010

    Date issued: 29/03/10

    Careers in Science and Technology really do have the X Factor!
    Technology expert Maggie Philbin and the Berkshire Education Business Partnerships set up TeenTech, an ambitious event to help convince teenagers that careers in Science and Technology really do have the X Factor.
    “All over the UK teenagers are sitting in classrooms thinking and believing that they’re going to be famous, so they can’t see the point of making the effort with subjects like Maths and Physics. Their pockets may be full of the very latest technology but few consider the fact that they could be designing the technology of the future themselves. They simply don’t know about the cool opportunities that exist in these areas.” Maggie Philbin.
    Friday 19th of March 2010 will be remembered by many Berkshire Year 8 and 9 students as the day that inspired them. 300 lucky students were given the opportunity to try their hand at experiments, design prototypes for the year 2050 and find out about jobs that they never dreamt existed.
    TeenTech has won the British Science Association’s prestigious award for best Engineering Event 2010. Organised by Education Business Partnerships working in collaboration with a number of sponsors and businesses, the event aimed to encourage students to believe that careers in Science, Engineering, Technology and Maths have the X Factor. Technology expert Maggie Philbin who compered the day, commented that “the day gave a taste of the exciting possibilities in contemporary science and engineering”. Maggie, who had the inspiration for the event because she was frustrated to see potential talent go to waste, said “Most young people have a very limited vision of the rich opportunities that exist in these areas and you cannot aspire to be what you’ve never seen.”
    Companies responsible for cutting edge technology in teenage lives showed the students how they could be the ones designing and developing the technology of the future. They included True Snowboards, BT, IBM, JVC, 3M, Sky, AWE, Thames Water and Verizon and offered a mixture of hands on activities and exhibitions.
    Beverley Graves, Joint Managing Director of the Central Berkshire EBP who jointly coordinated the day, says “This large scale event provides the ideal opportunity for young people to enthuse about technology to equally enthusiastic and generous business people who are willing to share their passion for the industry.”
    Joanna Birrell from Berkshire Enterprise and Skills Group said “TeenTech is a great example of how business and education can work together to address the issue of skill shortages in an exciting and innovative way.”
    The day ended with the announcement of the winners of the ‘Ideas Wall’ where students had been asked to give their ideas for inventions for the year 2050. Winning ideas included a speed bump that collapsed in front of you if you were driving at the correct speed and a gadget that could show people what a person with autism was thinking and feeling. The lucky winners were each given an iPod, kindly donated by Segro.
    Notes to Editors
    This is the second TeenTech and is the result of a close collaboration between the IoD, Maggie Philbin, the IET, the Berkshire Enterprise and Skills Board and the Berkshire Education Business Partnerships.
    It is sponsored by the IoD, the IET, The University of Reading, Berkshire Economic Strategy Board, Reading UK CIC, STEMNET, UK Resource Centre for Women, SEGRO, John Nike Group, Progress South Central and the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre.
    It relies on the generosity of the companies who take the long term view by offering their staff and technology to inspire a generation to work with them in ten years time.
    The event is completely free to schools and there is also a Professional Development session for teachers. This gives them a chance to find out more about STEM careers and how to build on the event in after-school clubs, focusing on Science Technology, Engineering and Maths.
    Participating organisations: IET, IoD, University of Reading, IBM, BT, SETNET, AWE, Scottish and Southern Energy, 3TRPD, Cognito, Sky, Imago, Bloodhound, Smallpeice Trust, Proctor and Gamble, Dot Net Solutions, Coaster Club, ICE, UK Timber Federation, Berkshire College of Agriculture, 3M, JVC, Thames Water, Cadline, Surfin2Careers, Explosive Science and Verizon.