East Midlands Freeport supported Primary Engineer’s “If you were an engineer, what would you do?” Leaders Award competition.
It gave primary and secondary school pupils across the region the chance to explore engineering through problem-solving.
The programme reached 17 schools from across the Freeport area – with an average of 72 pupils per school submitting an entry.
The challenge
Many young people do not know what engineers do or the range of careers available in the sector.
The competition helped pupils understand how engineering connects to everyday life by encouraging them to spot problems, think creatively, and develop their own ideas for solutions.
What East Midlands Freeport did
East Midlands Freeport supported Primary Engineer to deliver the Leaders Award competition in schools across the Freeport region with funding from its Skills and Communities Fund.
Pupils were asked: “If you were an engineer, what would you do?”, going on to identify a problem that mattered to them, designed a possible solution, and entered their idea into the competition.
The project meant that teachers received STEM resources to support classroom learning.
Meanwhile, schools were also introduced to engineers, who spoke about their own career journeys, explained the different jobs available in engineering and answered pupils’ questions.
The programme included engineer visits, live and recorded careers content, design submissions reviewed by engineering professionals, regional judging and a public awards event.
Participating employers included GE Vernova, AVEVA, Rolls-Royce, Insight Surgery, JNP Group, WSP, EAL and Akriveia.
What the project achieved
The programme gave pupils practical experience of engineering, innovation, critical thinking and problem-solving.
Participation was inclusive – with 52% girls and 48% boys – while a third of participating schools were located in the most deprived third of areas.
Teacher feedback showed the programme’s positive impact:
- 99% said pupils enjoyed learning about engineering.
- 98% would recommend the competition to another school.
- 97% said pupils had a greater understanding of engineering and its importance.
- 95% said the project inspired pupils to learn more about engineering and STEM.
- 95% felt more comfortable discussing engineering careers with pupils.
- 94% reported greater confidence answering pupils’ questions about engineering.
By helping young people meet engineers, tackle challenges they care about and see their ideas recognised, East Midlands Freeport is supporting a more inclusive and informed future talent pipeline for the region’s engineering and technology sectors.
Emma Chouhan, Skills and Communities Lead, East Midlands Freeport, said: “The ideas submitted through this competition show exactly why it is so important to give young people the opportunity to think like engineers.
“By encouraging pupils to identify problems that matter to them and develop their own solutions, we are helping them recognise that engineering is a way to make a real difference to people’s lives.
“It has been fantastic to see more than 1,200 pupils across 17 schools take part, meet engineers and explore the breadth of careers available in the sector.
“East Midlands Freeport is proud to support initiatives that widen access to opportunity and help build the diverse, skilled workforce our region needs for the future.”
Applications for the latest round of Skills and Community Equity Fund funding are now open. Find out more and apply.