Y9 Engineering students visit University of Derby for their first Employer Led Project
The University of Derby welcomed UTC Derby Pride Park Year 9 Engineering students to their campus on Markeaton Street to launch the students first Employer Led Project. Engineering students received an introduction to what Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering entails at the University of Derby alongside some information linked to Automotive Careers presented by Fei Shao, to support the project. The session was also led by Charlotte Wisson who explained the project criteria to the students
A variety of ice-breaker activities were also completed and this was an excellent way for the students to get to know each other on their first full week at UTC.
The project entails students working together as a team of 4 to design and prototype a car of the future whilst also introducing students to the different employability skills that are also important learning aspects alongside their academic knowledge.
The project will include key criteria, such as:
- Deciding Team Roles and responsibilities
- Creating moodboards to show different sustainable energy sources
- Creating moodboards of different automotive vehicles
- Developing a design specification
- Creating design ideas and prototypes
- Giving a verbal presentation to University and UTC representatives at the end of the project to show their progress and explain their learning journey
Students then needed to decide their teams and consdier the roles that each member would take.
Employability skills within this project include teamwork, organisation, resilience, subject knowledge, working to a deadline, time management, adaptability and public speaking.
We wish all of you student’s good luck in developing their projects during the term.
About the day students said:
‘It was an amazing to be involved in an employer event in our first week at the UTC and get to visit the University’
‘I am really excited to start working with my team to develop our design ideas’
‘It was absolutely fantastic to take the Engineering Specialism students out to have their first project launch with The University of Derby. It was great to see the students working together when many had not even met each other 1 week ago!’