Last week saw Bloodhound SSC successfully undertake two high-speed test runs on the runway of Newquay Airport, a spectacle witnessed by around 4,000 spectators.
The dynamic tests gave the Bloodhound team a chance to assess the performance of the vehicle’s steering, brakes, suspension, data systems and other functions. They also marked a key milestone in the team’s efforts to break and then shatter the world land speed record at Hakskeen Pan in South Africa in 2019.
The vehicle represents a remarkable feat of engineering and its outreach programme has reached 6,000 schools – 130,000 pupils per year – in Britain, leading us to ask if Bloodhound – as impressive as it is – is the right sort of project to enthuse the next generation of engineers.
The visceral thrill of a 1,000mph land vehicle managed to vitalise just over a fifth (21%) of respondents who agreed that we need more of the same. This was followed by 30 per cent who thought a project with the goal of exploration would replicate the Bloodhound effect, and 39 per cent who saw a clean energy project as the best way to engage with young people. Of the remainder, only five per cent took the view that a project in the medical sector would work, and seven per cent chose none of the above.
A consensus emerged in the debate that followed, with many offering their alternatives to Bloodhound. Your thoughts on the subject are welcome in Comments below.
Click here to read our coverage of the Bloodhound SSC project to date.
You missed out the best and most obvious option: “All of the above”.
Why should we restrict motivating children to one project. There should be medical, exploration, “save the planet” speed and other projects.
We are currently working on introducing a robotics competition in China, where there is a great deal of enthusiasm for this technology as a mechanism for exciting youngsters, both boys and girls. If it works well, we will explore the UK as well.
Although a clean energy project has the most votes, I don’t think personally it is anything like as sexy as the Bloodhound, fighter jets, rockets, fast cars and the ilk to enthuse young lads, but I wouldn’t know how this would be for young ladies with some interest in these things that were once mostly in a male domain.
Projects in the clean energy sector have a tendency to sound a bit boring, even to engineers, so a real challenge to get children interested, but if done right it could be a game changer for this sector of the industry. But in reality any engineering project that gets the next generation interested should be applauded.
I think Reaction-Engines’ work is ideal for this in terms of a unique and novel UK technology. The next stage of moving to an actual space craft – Skylon or other applications would be good for young people to explore and get involved with. Similarly with Hybrid Air Vehicles project.
On the ground, maybe less obvious – how about a project to explore the Design and manufacture of offsite, factory based manufactured housing – touches on Marketing, Design (Industrial Design and Engineering Design), design of factories and tooling, airflow, electrical and electronics, materials and ‘User experience’. Learning (where appropriate) from the automotive and aero sector rather than incrementally improving the existing woefully low productivity ‘House building’ so called industry. Much of the Work can be done ‘virtually’ (right up to factory design and operation). As well as aiming to solve the UK housing issue, would be ideal for export markets. And importantly would clarify how to improve productivity, through a total re-think.
Motivational projects are important for stimulating young minds but this shouldn’t be seen as a niche or specialist thing, there needs to be more promotion in the main stream media. STEM should be promoted as something that’s interesting, worthwhile and worth attaining and not just something that ‘geeks’ do.
During my youth I had the space race, the cold war, the Eagle comic, Tomorrow’s World, Wireless World, Scientific American, etc. to whet my appetite and motivate me towards a career in Engineering. I don’t see much today to motivate me let alone youngsters. A lot of the material ‘out there’ today appears to be dumbed down with more emphasis on diversity than engineering, I’m sure this must put a lot of youngsters off rather than attract them.
There are a lot of interesting projects out there but they are rarely promoted in the MSM. Maybe the problem is the lack of real, committed STEM promotion to the nation rather than just promoting it to those in the trade ?
Although clean energy may be the right thing for the planet and mature people can appreciate that, what we are talking about here is motivating children who, by the very nature of being a child, have immature minds. Q. How do you motivate an immature mind? A. With things they find exciting. That is why more projects like Bloodhound, space exploration, racing cars, etc. are required. Once the child is interested in engineering and his/her mind has matured, then they can make up their own mind about what direction to pursue.
But first, get them interested.
Space rockets please, worked for me back in the 60s
One thing that would turn a lot of young minds onto the Engineering industry, and would cost virtually nothing, would be as simple as this:
LET THEM INTO ENGINEERING TRADE SHOWS!!!!!
I speak from personal experience. I have 5 boys and they are all enthralled by what I tell them about the shows I visit (Advanced Engineering & TCT to name 2). I show them videos and pictures that I take, and they are keen to know more. However the organisers of these events exclude anyone under the age of 18. Occasionally 16-18 year olds are allowed in but never any younger.
By contrast I recently took my eldest to the Construction Show at the NEC and he learned so much, and was enthused by what he saw.
I find it very sad indeed that we actively exclude young minds from our industry at precisely the age when they are most receptive to it.
I could rant on but I will refrain, suffice to say that I would dearly love to hear if anyone else feels the same way as me, or is this view peculiar to myself?
How about the Press Day followed by a Schools Day. The Exhibitors could use their younger staff to link and chat to the visitors and at the same time explain why “they” have opted for the career.
Paul Wilks comment echos my own experience. For several ‘years’ whilst teaching at Coventry Uni, I used to take one of my classes (European Business & technology) to which-ever Exhibition/ Conference /Trade Show (albeit with an Engineering theme) was on at the NEC: it was a couple of stops on the train! These were First Year students who had already made a choice to study Engineering, but I have to tell you that the attitude of the organisers was not enthusiastic. I had always briefed students before attendance (an early video-arts/John Cleese film was excellent for that) that the stands and staff and visitors were there to work, sell, promote, and that whilst they had a right to attend (not school-children) they must recognise that. I believe students and exhibitors both gained: but it was in spite of the Exhibition promoters, not because of them! Change of mind? Yes indeed.
There is an alternate program that also runs across nations and focuses on school age kids Formulae 1 in schools where kids have to design, build and race a CO2 powered F1 Scale model.
**The young now dream for longer- how to address that cultural problem.
The article notes that youth are more ‘environmentally conscious’. Whilst I’m sure that a minority of young people do hold these beliefs strongly and wish to work in professions where they can ‘live their dream’ a report by the Education and Employers Taskforce from 2013/14 usefully pointed out that young people’s aspirations were far more likely to be in the areas of Culture Media and sport. In general job aspirations did not match availability in many areas not just engineering and manufacturing.
I would argue that adolescence has been extended (partly – but not only -through the huge expansion of the higher education system) and adulthood delayed. This is an important consideration in working out how to inspire young people (and ask the question ‘is it even worth it?’). The young now dream for longer. The often aspire to do ‘adolescent’ i.e ‘cool’ jobs – not adult ones that are not cool but really do ‘make the future’ in terms of growth. This is unlikely to change.
The report also indicated that one consequence is that people do not have the necessary skills once they do realise they want to enter a career such as engineering which requires long hard study as well all know.
I propose that – given that the young of today will live longer and work until later in their lives – that we actively take on board this reality.
How?
Govt, universities and business need to support (financially and culturally) the retraining of young people who have ‘seen the light’ in their mid twenties (or later, but when want to start families) who are finally emerging from delayed adulthood and want/need to be able to retrain.
Maybe even specific educational establishments (similar to polytechnics) could be established to support this part funded by the companies who say they have skills shortages.
Of course inspiring projects might help the late adults to come around to reality. This could and should be part of the govts Industrial strategy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21762564
https://www.educationandemployers.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/nothing_in_common_final.pdf
Bloodhound has with out doubt sparked great interest in the engineering sector & over the last 6yrs I have seen mock ups & various bits of kit from the project at major trade shows, however, correct me if I`m wrong but I cannot recall the vehicle actually attempting anything other than a test run a couple of years ago.
If indeed they have achieved their goal of supersonic speed & I have missed the media coverage in the swamp of Brexit & Trump tweets then jolly good show, but if not it seems to be a project that is never ending aside from the days out & celebrity status it affords.
In short I feel projects in space exploration or affordable clean energy are far more worthy & rewarding.
Its first test run is due to take place this week Alan. We should have news on it over the next couple of days.
Whatever, if anything, is used it should have youth and adult appeal. The reason I believe Bloodhound was so all encompassing was that it appealed to all with a simple thing that we could all relate to.
What child or adult isn’t inspired by rockets and the wish to go very fast!!!
Results and progress is/was/ will be immediately obvious to all, industry sponsors have a tangible touchable, high publicity item and it is relate-able technology to all young and old at even the most rudimentary 4 wheels and a rocket (and jet) level.
There’s plenty of people who love robot-wars, so…. how about Antbots? Promote inter-school, or just share how to join the open competitions. An antbot fits within 4″x4″x4″ and I have a couple which cost about £100 each to buy (in bits from various sources), and my kids fight them with each other and me.
I agree with you. Farnborough Airshow is pretty good as is the Autosport show in January 1018