Lavender supporting students

17/01/2018

Engineering contributes up to 27% of the UK’s GDP1, but with a STEM skills shortage it is predicted that the UK will need 182,000 people with engineering skills per year to 20221 to fill the skills gap.

This, along with an ageing workforce within engineering and NDT specifically2, means that it is vital to inspire the younger generation and encourage students to maintain the option of a career in engineering.

NDT plays a crucial role in everyday life, yet many people, particularly the younger generation, have not heard of, or know little about it. Lavender is always looking for ways to inspire and engage the younger generation, highlight the importance of the industry and promote NDT as a potential career option.

It has been working with UTC Sheffield for several years now, providing training to engineering students and providing support at career events.

In October 2017, Lavender employees Andy, Sue and Amy visited UTC Sheffield to conduct NDT training sessions for 64 Year 11 students. Level 3 tutor Andy gave the students a whistle-stop tour of magnetic testing, ultrasonic testing and penetrant testing, before they were let loose to get stuck in and have a go at the different testing methods themselves.

The students engaged well, picking up the information quickly while asking questions, allowing them to complete the different tests successfully. They seemed to enjoy the hands-on experience and a female engineering student commented that the training was “very interesting and different to what we have done before.”

Not only did the training help the students to complete their coursework, in which they had to test a component to identify any defects and provide evidence of doing so, it also shed light on and allowed students the opportunity to have a go at a potentially new career avenue, which many were not aware of before.

As always, Lavender thoroughly enjoyed helping the students at UTC while promoting the NDT industry and looks forward to the next visit.

www.lavender-ndt.com
www.utcsheffield.org.uk