Young Engineers - Royal Navy Challenge

Each year the Royal Navy and Young Engineers set an engineering challenge. This secondary school event requires design skills, practical construction of a model, and teamwork and presentation skills.

Each team entering the competition has their work assessed by Naval Engineers and about 35 teams of finalists and their teachers attend an exciting Final Day where they:

  • compete for prizes, helicopter rides and a day at sea – where winning teams are VIP guests of the Royal Navy, taking part in ship or shore based exercises!
  • spend the night before the final day in a maritime environment, such as the decommissioned naval destroyer HMS Bristol
  • see the running of massive megawatt gas turbine and diesel engines used to power warships

In total about 700 people attended the last challenge day including 120 competitors, over 100 Royal Navy personnel and 450 local primary & secondary pupils (as invited guests). This creates a great atmosphere – the young people can get together with lots of like-minded people and real engineers. As well as the huge amount finalists learn from the design and build process, they develop important life skills.

Schools participate in the Challenge through extra-curricular Young Engineers clubs network. These clubs need support from engineering companies, particularly from the maritime sector – not only for this challenge, but for the many activities which Young Engineers uses to attract the attention of students. Support can befinancial, material or through the provision of an employee as a mentor.

The competition is launched at the start of the autumn term with details on the website http://www.youngeng.org/ =or by contacting Young Engineers on 01428 727265.

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