Engineers Australia, the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer, Sydney’s five engineering universities and industry leaders hosted 60 promising Year 12 students from across NSW and the ACT for the 30th annual Engineering Summer School (ESS).
The five-day program welcomed students who are studying science and maths at a high level, giving them opportunities to gain a better understanding about some of the major engineering disciplines.
The group of students visited and participated in workshops at University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, University of Technology Sydney, Macquarie and the University of Wollongong. They experienced real-world engineering at RAAF Richmond, ANSTO, BlueScope Steel, and the Royal Australian Navy.
General Manager of the Sydney Division Jamie Burrage says “we endeavoured to communicate the community-driven nature of engineering and show students how a career in engineering can open up a world of opportunity.”
“Students involved also gained a better understanding of the support provided by the universities during their degrees and the support available to them by Engineers Australia and our network of young engineers, committees, groups and women in engineering societies.”
Student involvement in the ESS is recognised by the participating universities and the broader tertiary world. Participation in ESS provided an introduction to the key engineering universities and an insight into the vast number of disciplines encompassed by the profession.
On top of improving STEM knowledge and various skills, such as communication, presentation and sociability, students received a certificate of achievement and completion to use in their university application process and to attach with their resumes.
Almost 85 per cent of participants in the program said they are “absolutely” likely to apply for an engineering degree.
Jamie says “we are thrilled with the feedback received from this year’s program and we extend our thanks and appreciation to all the volunteers, organisations and universities for their contribution to a positive outcome for the future of the profession.”