THE RAF and a Leamington charity has teamed up to take students on a virtual humanitarian aid mission.
The Smallpeice Trust has replaced its usual courses with a online course tasking young people with delivering support to remote areas in need.
It provides first-hand experiences of how the RAF supports the many challenges facing the world – from floods in the UK, to the Ebola outbreak in Africa, and devastating hurricanes in the Caribbean.
The online courses meet the Trust’s mission of giving young people the role models and experiences needed to fuel their passion for engineering related careers.
And the course has been developed by RAF education officers to include a series of engineering challenges that pupils have to overcome.
Smallpeice Trust chief executive Kevin Stenson said: “With a deficit of two million people in UK engineering and the lowest percentage of female engineering professionals in Europe, we are working with our partner organisations to excite children about the possibilities.
“The Humanitarian Aid Engineering Experience enables pupils to learn about the practical ways the RAF helps countries in need. During Covid-19 these remote courses are proving to be a successful alternative to engage young people and help them develop key engineering skills at home.”
RAF wing commander Russell Barnes said: “We’re excited to work with The Smallpeice Trust on this new online course which will enable more young people to experience the positive impact of engineering, as they work on real-life challenges, all from the comfort of their homes. The mission challenges are designed to encourage creativity and problem-solving abilities, key skills not only for engineering but all aspects of life.”
Visit www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk for more information.
