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Product category: 3D CAD software
News Release from: PTC - Parametric Technology (UK)
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial Team on 24 October 2002

Engineering - cool for kids

Product development software company PTC has rolled out a nationwide campaign, "Engineering - cool for kids", in conjunction with Steve Bennett, founder of Manchester based Starchaser Industries.

Product development software company PTC has rolled out a nationwide campaign, "Engineering - cool for kids", in conjunction with Steve Bennett, founder and Chief Executive of Manchester based Starchaser Industries, to promote the pursuit of science and technology subjects among Britain's secondary school pupils PTC is one of the world's largest providers of engineering design software and Steve Bennett is the man who hopes to be the first private citizen to put a person into space

The campaign kicked off on Monday 7th October at Theale Green School in Reading and over that week visited schools in Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle and reached more than 3000 11-18 year olds.

At the centre of the campaign was Starchaser's 11m long Nova rocket, which visited schools throughout Britain to coincide with World Space Week The tour showed children how the lessons taught in schools have direct relevance to industry and play a vital role in securing a job.

The tour also aimed to shed the "uncool" image of engineers by showing how engineering skills are at the heart of all aspects of life from Formula One racing to the mobile telephone in your pocket.

The Nova rocket is the latest in a series of successful designs created by Starchaser Industries and is the test bed for a rocket which Steve Bennett believes will become the first privately built rocket to put a man into space.

Bennett and his team are aiming to complete this challenge in October 2004 to claim the X Prize.

The X Prize is a $10 million cash prize on offer to the first non-governmental organisation to fly three people into space (100km up) and then safely back down.

This rocket, its predecessors and the rocket being prepared for the record attempt have all been designed using PTC's Pro/Desktop software solution, which has been supplied to Starchaser through PTC's Performance Partner programme.

In 1999, PTC agreed to supply its Pro/Desktop engineering design software free of charge to Britain's secondary schools.

The commercial value of these software grants to British schools is about $84 million, according to PTC.

The software supply was also backed up with an extensive training programme run in conjunction with educational charity DATA to ensure teachers are fully conversant with the software and how its use should be taught at GCSE level and A level.

Pupils are introduced to Pro/Desktop from the age of 11, thus giving them a strong grounding in engineering technology as well as product design.

Three years on and Pro/Desktop is now used in more than 2800 UK secondary schools and more than 5000 secondary schools teachers have been trained in its use.

PTC's commitment to promoting science and technology in schools was recently recognised by Estelle Morris, MP, Secretary of State for Education and Skills, who said, "PTC has made one of the largest-ever contributions from private industry to the British education system.

It is giving our children a head start in the design process and releasing their creativity.

Nowhere in the world are so many secondary schools involved in such an innovative programme".

According to Peter King, PTC's Senior Vice President of International Marketing, "Engineers and their associated skills play a pivotal role in many of the great products today's teenagers love.

The latest, must-have mobile phone design has been created by an engineer, yet children will aspire to the brand rather than aspiring to be the person who designed the object of desire".

"The same goes for Formula One.

Children may idolise the driver, but it is unlikely that they even give a moment's thought to the engineering team who designed the car without which the driver would not have a job".

"The space rocket which is the focal point of our campaign has been designed by a team of engineers and I am sure that children will marvel at it, but will they realise who is behind the object of their awe?".

"Even items such as David Beckham's football boots have been designed by engineers who have spent many hours honing the design to enable top players to make a football do seemingly impossible things".

"Put simply, engineering drives all aspects of our lives yet the number of graduates emerging from university with engineering qualifications is at best flat and at worst falling.

Another issue facing manufacturing industry is the number of engineering graduates choosing to become lawyers and accountants as opposed to pursuing their chosen discipline.

Many people believe engineering is poorly paid but a typical Chartered Engineer surprisingly earns more on average than a typical solicitor in the UK".

"Only by exciting children at an early age can we hope to generate an increased pool of university applicants which will ultimately result in more qualified engineers.

Our programme aims to do this", Peter King added.

According to Starchaser's Bennett, "Ensuring Britain stays at the forefront of technological innovation is of vital importance.

As a business we need bright young engineers to help us fulfil our goal and we are delighted to be supporting PTC in their drive to promote engineering and science among school children.

PTC's Schools programme has already achieved massive success to date and I am confident that this campaign will succeed in its goal of promoting engineering is an attractive career option for today's teenagers".

The Partnership for Innovative Learning is the educational component of PTC's Product First initiative, which supports companies that create superior products by placing product development at the core of everything they do.

(This was Engineeringtalk's Top Story on 23 October 2002).

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