Report on the 2008 Challenge in South Wales

Introduction 

If the UK is to compete in providing products and services requiring technical innovation, it is crucial to produce chartered engineers in sufficient numbers to supply the needs of industry.  Various initiatives have appeared over recent years to help in this and the Engineering Team Challenge is one such project. 

The Engineering Team Challenge is intended to encourage 14‑year-old pupils in South Wales to consider a career in Engineering at professional level.  It has been held in South Wales since 1999 and, each year, an engineering organisation is invited to prepare a Challenge to arouse the interest of the pupils.  The themes of previous Challenges have included bridge building, foundation engineering, hydro-electric power, aircraft wing design, renewable energy, earthquake engineering, environmental engineering and tower construction.

This year, the Institution of Structural Engineers, celebrating its centenary year, set up a Challenge to construct a tower crane using everyday materials.  The Wales Branch Chairman, Steve T Davies BSc (Hons) CEng MIStructE FFB, Technical Director, Structures at Hyder Consulting, together with Tim Bennett MA MEng CEng MIStructE, Senior Structural Engineer at Arup, Cardiff, brought together a team of graduates to set up the Challenge.  Subsequently, a trial was held at St Teilo’s Church in Wales High School, Cardiff, in July and this provided useful information in the preparation of the Challenge.  

Organising the Challenge

Over 130 schools across South Wales were invited to bring pupils to take up the Challenge.  The following twenty schools took part, with 267 pupils: 

10 November at the University of Glamorgan
 

 11 November at the University of Glamorgan 

 13 November at Swansea University 

 14 November at the Halliwell Centre 

The teachers received joining instructions containing the programme and layout map for their chosen venue, a list of sponsors, Health and Safety information and a feedback questionnaire. 

The pupils received Welcome Notes at registration with a programme and a feedback questionnaire. 

Four venues were required for the Challenge to cater for the numbers of participating schools and pupils:  

10 November at the University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd

11 November at the University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd

13 November at the University of Wales, Swansea

14 November at the Halliwell Centre, Trinity College, Carmarthen
 

Sponsors

The Challenge was to be self-financing and the sponsors were very generous.  Most provided funding for the necessary prizes, materials and organisation whilst others provided transport or materials.  The list of sponsors is available together with a panel showing the sponsors’ logos.  This was displayed at the four venues.  

Challenge Graduates

 Graduates are essential to the Challenge, partly as rôle models for the pupils and partly to guide and encourage them.  Seventeen graduates took part in the Challenge:  

 10 November Graduates at the University of Glamorgan

 
11 November Graduates at the University of Glamorgan

13 November Graduates at Swansea University

14 November Graduates at the Halliwell Centre

Tom Firth was the Challenge Co-ordinator at each venue and he controlled all aspects of the Challenge.  All graduates received a Certificate of Continuing Professional Development. 

Twelve of the graduates received training from ConstructionSkills (the other five had received training previously) and they became Construction Ambassadors. 

Programmes

 The programmes  provided for a full day starting with a welcome at each venue:

10 November at the University of Glamorgan by Dr Roy Garwood, Head of Department of Engineering,

on 11 November at the University of Glamorgan by Vassilis Konstantinou, Dean of Faculty of Advanced Technology,

on 13 November at Swansea University Professor Steve Wilks, Deputy Head of Engineering

and on 14 November at the Halliwell Centre by Dr Brian Clarke, Director of Resources and Operations. 

The Welcome at each venue was followed by two talks given by graduates:
The first, “What is Engineering?” gave the pupils a description of the work of qualified engineers with a generous use of slides and a definition of the work of engineers:

“Engineers apply the principles of mathematics and science to develop solutions to technical problems”

 In the second talk, the Introduction to the Challenge, the pupils heard about the requirements of the Challenge.  

After the talks, the pupils and teachers had a short break with refreshments and then the pupils took the Challenge. 

The Challenge 

The pupils were to build a tower crane using everyday materials (listed in the attached Challenge Instructions). 

Before starting, the pupils were given health and safety advice about the care needed when using the scissors and other materials.  In particular, they were told of the possibility of accidents when using the dowelling and were required to wear goggles provided and were told that there would be a “penalty” of £1000 for any team member seen without the goggles during construction.  The Health and Safety Statements are attached. 

The pupils were in groups of four, each pupil from a different school, partly to encourage team building and partly to increase the chances of all schools winning at least one prize.  Pupils had to “buy” materials used and had to work out the final cost.  A time of 1¾ hours was allowed to complete the task, including answering technical questions (attached to the Challenge Instructions) and calculating the cost of the tower crane.  Pupils lost marks for errors in the cost calculations or answers to the technical questions. 

The cranes were then tested.  They were required to have a mast at least 60 cm high with a jib at least 60 cm from the mast to the hook.  The hook carried a weight container and increasing loads (10 gm lead weights) were placed in the container.  The crane failed when the underside of the weight container came within 30 cm of the table.  The weights carried before failure together with the construction cost and marks for questions and costing determined the first, second and third teams.  

Lunch followed the testing and then the pupils and teachers were taken on a tour of the Civil Engineering Division of the University of Glamorgan and the School of Engineering at Swansea University.  There was no tour at the Halliwell Centre as there is no engineering facility.  

Prize giving followed.  The prizes were a £35 gift token for each member of the winning team at each venue, £25 for the second and £15 for the third.   

The prizes were presented by members of the Institution of Structural Engineers. 

On 10 and 11 November at the University of Glamorgan by Steve T Davies BSc (Hons) CEng MIStructE FFB, Technical Director, Structures at Hyder Consulting,

on 13 November at Swansea University by Dr Robert Y Xiao BEng MSc PhD, Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering

and on 14 November at the Halliwell Centre, Carmarthen, by Darren Thomas MBA BEng (Hons) CEng MICE MIStructE, Head of Highways & Construction at Pembrokeshire County Council. 

The Winners 

10 November at the University of Glamorgan Presented by Steve T Davies, Technical Director, Hyder Consulting (all five schools won prizes) 

First Prize

Blackwood Comprehensive School
Whitchurch High School 
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf
Cyfarthfa High School

Second Prize 

Blackwood Comprehensive School
Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School
Whitchurch High School
St Teilo's Church In Wales High School  

Third Prize 

Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School
Cyfarthfa High School
Whitchurch High School
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf  

11 November at Swansea University Presented by Steve T Davies, Technical Director, Hyder Consulting (all five schools won prizes) 

First Prize 

Bedwas High School
Cowbridge Comprehensive School (left
before prize giving) 
Heol Ddu Comprehensive School  

Second Prize 

Bedwas High School
Cowbridge Comprehensive School
(left before prize giving)
Heol Ddu Comprehensive School
Porth County Community School
(left before prize giving) 

Third Prize 

Bedwas High School
Cowbridge Comprehensive School
(left before prize giving)
Heol Ddu Comprehensive School
Whitchurch High School 

13 November at Swansea University Presented by Dr Robert Y Xiao, Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering (all five schools won prizes)

 First Prize 

Bishop Vaughan Catholic School
Bishop Vaughan Catholic School
Olchfa School
St Joseph's RC Comprehensive School 

Second Prize 

Cefn Saeson Comprehensive School
Bishop Gore Comprehensive School
Bishop Vaughan Catholic School
Olchfa School 

Third Prize 

Cefn Saeson Comprehensive School
Bishop Vaughan Catholic School
Olchfa School
St Joseph's RC Comprehensive School 

14 November at the Halliwell Centre Presented by Darren Thomas Head of Highways & Construction at Pembrokeshire County Council (all five schools won prizes) 

First Prize  

Sir Thomas Picton School
Ysgol Dyffryn Aman
Ysgol Gyfun Pantycelyn
Ysgol Gyfun y Strade
 
Second Prize 

Glan Afan Comprehensive School
Ysgol Dyffryn Aman
Ysgol Gyfun y Strade
(three pupils in the team) 

Third Prize

 Sir Thomas Picton School
Ysgol Dyffryn Aman
Ysgol Gyfun y Strade
(three pupils in the team)

All twenty schools won at least one prize and Certificates were sent to the prize-winners.

An additional prize of £600 was awarded by SWIEET (South Wales Institute of Engineers Educational Trust) to schools represented by the members of the overall winning team from the four venues.  The team took part in Swansea University and the winning schools, each receiving £200, were: 

Neath Port Talbot:

St Joseph's RC Comprehensive School

Swansea City:

Bishop Vaughan Catholic School (two pupils in the team)
Olchfa School 

Feedback

The teachers and the pupils completed feedback forms.  A summary of the feedback from the teachers shows that the Challenge was very well received.   Also, a summary was made of comments from teachers.

Most of the teachers had taken part in past years and they considered that interest in Design and Technology had increased again since last year. 

A summary of the feedback from the pupils shows that there had been an improvement overall in all aspects except for comments on whether pupils would follow a career in engineering which dropped from an average of 52% to 43%.  Also, the percentage of girls taking part has dropped; in the past, the percentage of girls has been has been just under 50.  This year it was 37%.   

Pupils were asked for the first time to give their comments on the mid-morning snack.  There were no comments on the fruit drinks (which were almost all used) but the muesli bars were not liked, being “too hard” or “healthy”. 

Conclusions   

The Challenge was another success.   

The increase in interest in Design and Technology is very encouraging and the Challenge could claim some credit for this. 

The introductory talks need something extra to capture the pupils’ interest - perhaps short video clips. 

The drop in the percentage of pupils planning to follow a career in engineering is very disappointing and not understood in the light of the increase in interest in Design and Technology in schools. 

A change is needed for the pupils’ mid-morning snack.

Thanks are due to… 

• the Institution of Structural Engineers, Wales Branch and Chairman Steve T Davies Technical Director, Structures at Hyder Consulting, together with Tim Bennett Senior Structural Engineer at Arup for promoting this year’s Challenge;
   
• the seventeen Graduates, without whom the Challenge would not have been possible;
   
• the Graduates’ organisations for encouraging them to take part;
   
• Dr Roy Garwood, Head of Department of Engineering, University of Glamorgan, Vassilis Konstantinou, Dean of Faculty of Advanced Technology, University of Glamorgan, Professor Steve Wilks, Deputy Head of Engineering, Swansea University and Dr Brian Clarke, Director of Resources and Operations at the Halliwell Centre, all of whom spared the time to welcome pupils to the Challenge;
   
• Dr David Tann at the University of Glamorgan for arranging tours of the University’s Civil Engineering Division on 10 and 11 November
   
• Ruth Baker at Swansea University for arranging a tour of the University’s School of  Engineering on 13 November;
   
• the sponsors, without whom the Challenge could not have been produced;
   
• the staff of the Business Unit of the University of Glamorgan, particularly Stacy, Gemma, Anne, Richard, Cara, Lisa and Ceri; the staff of Swansea University, particularly Ruth Baker and Pam Walden and the staff of the Halliwell Centre, particularly Ceris and Ann;
• the participating schools, for supporting the Challenge;
   
• the teachers who supported the Challenge yet again!
   
• and, most important of all, the pupils, who made it all worthwhile.

Engineering Team Challenge November 2008
Tel and Fax 029 2076 1682
info@ engineering-team-challenge.co.uk
http://www.engineering-team-challenge.co.uk

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