Young engineers to experience WMG academy

The Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), part of the University of Warwick, are opening a new engineering school in 2014, which will be called the WMG Academy. The school will provide a place for budding young engineers in the Coventry, Warwick and Solihull area to explore engineering outside a traditional classroom setting.

The Academy will attempt to use hands on, practical demonstrations to make use of the theory taught in lessons. Applications of theory to real-world problems will be a major focus of the Academy. Multiple business partners are involved with the project, including Jaguar Land Rover and National Grid.

Though the school will not open for over a year, the WMG Academy is offering a taster session to prospective students this year. The taster day will involve tours of the engineering facilities, the chance to take part in interactive exhibits, and have taster lectures in subjects such as computer-aided design and 3D printing. Parents will be able to join students on the taster day, to get a better insight into what their children will be studying.

Second year Physics student, Anita Anthony, said: ‘The WMG Academy is a great opportunity for kids to get an introduction to university study. An introduction to labs and lectures would show potential engineers how different the teaching style is from high school. It would have been really useful if they offered something similar for physicists when I was applying.’

Staff hope that the Academy will help to get more young people interested in engineering and encourage them to take those skills into industry.

Director of the WMG Academy Richard Hutchins said: ‘Manufacturing and engineering businesses in the area all need skilled young people to help them innovate and grow in the future…

…The WMG Academy will be a fantastic hotbed of talent, technology, business and innovation…a real draw to getting young people excited about industry.’ He added.

The open day will take place on Saturday 29 June, and interested students can sign up here.