Blogs

Paul Strickland (Weapons Integration Principal Engineer), Caitlin Moore (Human Factors Engineer) and Rosie Dru Drury (TL Aircrew Systems Integration Engineer) supported the 2022 innovation Maths project, which aimed to encourage more girls to consider careers involving Maths. The intention was to demonstrate how Maths is used within their career and why it is so important. This session finished with a visit to the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection museum where the students were able to climb in and out of aircraft cockpits, whilst learning about how maths was relevant to cockpit design. Watch the video below to find out more.

Other STEM activities have included Rosie and Caitlin being involved in an 'Aspirations Day' for the year 7’s at Sarum Academy school in Salisbury and at Wyvern St Edmunds school. They ran a hands-on activity workshop for the year 7’s, explaining how their career progression and journeys, what problems they encountered and how they overcame them, including practical tasks that put what they had talked about into context.

Alongside STEM activities, Paul and Rosie also work as Enterprise Advisers with the Swindon and Wiltshire Careers Hub. This involves them meeting regularly with the careers staff and leadership team at their allocated schools, Sarum Academy and Wyvern St Edmunds, to discuss and agree ways for the school to meet GATSBY benchmarks. They also offer suggestions of relevant activities that will support students and teaching staff with understanding what industry is looking for in potential employees. This might involve doing mock interviews, reviewing CV’s and discussing the value of work experience, to name a few.