Students across Geelong took part in a national event showcasing career pathways in critical areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Year 10 students from 12 high schools competed in hands-on activities during the Geelong Science and Engineering Challenge at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus last week.
Deakin’s manufacturing innovation hub ManuFutures and the Rotary Club supported this year’s challenge that aims to open students’ minds to career possibilities.
ManuFutures director Mark Curnow said the program looked to alleviate local community skill shortages by fostering a love of creative innovation with students.
“We are actively increasing the skilled workforce of the future,” he said.
“Showing students at this stage in their education what a career in engineering is like offers the opportunity to build the next generation of local entrepreneurs and manufacturing start-ups.”
ManuFutures also runs the Ignite program, a tailored mentoring and coaching program for people looking to develop their manufacturing, engineering or product-based design ideas.
“ManuFutures aims to bring everyday people with incredible ideas into the commercial market,” Mr Curnow said.
“Of the 41 graduates of the Ignite program, six have commercially available products on the market, two have software application businesses, and another is now a research and development company in the medical arena.”
The Science and Engineering Challenge is a national program presented by the University of Newcastle in partnership with communities, Rotary clubs, universities and sponsors.
Local participating schools included; Catholic Ladies College, Bellarine Secondary College, Whitefriars College, St Ignatius College Drysdale, Geelong Lutheran College, Geelong Baptist College, Clonard College, Christian College Geelong, Oberon High School, Kardinia International College, Belmont High School, Western Heights College Geelong, Sacred Heart College, and Geelong High School.
