TRU provided several practical insights into the field, aiming to bridging the gap between academic knowledge and real-world engineering practices, and foster a deeper understanding and appreciation for the industry. The college sought to achieve this through interactive workshops that would engage and motivate students while highlighting various aspects of engineering.
Our social value team led a series of four workshops, each designed to cover a distinct area of engineering and sustainability. These workshops were planned to ensure a comprehensive and engaging learning experience for the 125 Year 12 students, aged 16-17. The students were divided into groups of approximately 25 and rotated through a series of 45-minute sessions.
The four workshops consisted of: | |||
● | Ecofficiency – Sustainability and Waste Management Workshop: focusing on the importance of sustainability in engineering projects. Students learned about eco-efficient practices and waste management strategies, emphasising the role of engineers in promoting environmental responsibility. | ||
● | Tetrahedron Challenge: Led by our first year civil engineering apprentice, this interactive session challenged students to construct tetrahedrons fostering teamwork, problem-solving skills, and an understanding of geometric principles in engineering design. | ||
● | Demolition of a Building Safely: with Greenhead College undergoing partial demolition, workshop on safe demolition practices was particularly relevant. Students gained insights into the complexities and safety measures involved in the demolition process, aligning theory with real-world application. | ||
● | Flannery Plant Hire – Plant Machinery Simulators: This hands-on session featured plant machinery simulators provided by Flannery Plant Hire. Students had the opportunity to operate simulated machinery, giving them a realistic feel for the equipment used in large-scale engineering projects. | ||
The ‘Step into Your Future’ event was a resounding success, achieving its goal of inspiring and educating the students about the engineering field.
Key impacts included:
One student commented,
“The sessions today were interactive, thought-provoking, and engaging. Learning about the different aspects of engineering, civil engineering, and waste management was interesting and provided the opportunity to broaden my knowledge on the subjects.”
Another student shared,
“I had fun trying out the driving simulator. I thought the activities were quite engaging. They encouraged a lot of communication and teamwork.”