The two-day long Festival of Engineering (FOE) commenced at Babcock’s Bristol site on March 4, 2025, and coincided with the UNESCO World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development. It gave pupils from across the region the opportunity to take part in a range of events centred around STEM.
Babcock said it will host two further FOE events this year – one in Rosyth in May, where the event has been running for six years, and another in Devonport in June. Organised by the company’s graduate community, around 1500 pupils are expected to take part across all three events this year.
Around 400 pupils, teachers, partner companies and customers are taking part in this week’s event, where they will hear from guest speakers that include Alice Bunn, OBE, CEO of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
The Royal Navy, Engineering UK, industry partners like BAE Systems and the charity Not Just for Girls, are supporting the event, which is highlighting the theme of Breaking Down Barriers, particularly around women in engineering, defence-related careers, and empowering those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Guest speaker Louise Atkinson, Babcock’s chief people officer, said: “Babcock’s Festival of Engineering is our flagship series of STEM events in 2025 and we are proud to launch them across the UK, building on the legacy we have created in Rosyth, with an ambition to take it internationally. These events are aimed at raising awareness of the amazing opportunities STEM careers can give young people and to help students make informed career-based decisions at a young age.
“Holding events like this means we can introduce pupils to a wide range of career choices in these fields that they may not have considered before.
“These events are part of our wider contribution within the communities that we are proud to be part of. We have a focus on developing a skilled, diverse and inclusive workforce which in turn supports the health and growth of the economy such as here in the south west.”
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Britain can compete in semiconductor manufacturing if it looks at radical innovative manufacture. Design is OK but innovative manufacture would be...