RAF top guns inspire next generation
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AN RAF base opened its gates to help inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
More than 1200 P6 children from schools across Moray attended the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) showcase at RAF Lossiemouth.
The combined initiative, run by Moray Council and the RAF base, was designed to inspire and enthuse young students by showing how STEM subjects are used in modern careers.
A total of 10 RAF trades took part – ranging from fuels to mountain rescue, catering to flight planning, survival equipment to firefighting.
They were joined by defence contractors and local industry partners, including 39 Engineer Regiment, BAE Systems, Balfour Beatty, Diageo, Leonardo, Moray Council, NHS Grampian Health Improvement Team, Robertson Construction Group, Rolls Royce, Royal Northern Countryside Initiative, Specsavers, UHI STEM Hub and Veolia.
Moray Council’s education support officer (skills), Maxine Garson, said the initiative was a creative way of inspiring pupils to consider a STEM career.
She said: "Importantly, it's a hands-on way for our young people to experience all the different options a STEM career could offer them. There are hundreds of different jobs within the STEM industries and it's exciting to think of all the possibilities that lie ahead for these pupils.
"I’m thrilled that every P6 pupil in Moray has participated. They are the scientists and engineers of the future – and I hope it encourages them to think about pursuing a STEM career and realising the career opportunities locally.”
Hands on sessions for the pupils included the theory of flight, RAF Police forensic science techniques, virtual reality in the construction industry, computer coding and problem solving, science and technology in farming, and the power of liquids and hydraulics.
Aerospace engineering company Leonardo led an activity about radar and the role sensors play in technologically advanced products.
Leonardo’s CAPTOR radar is used by Typhoon aircraft stationed at RAF Lossiemouth, allowing the children to link the activity to their surroundings.
Hardware engineer Sarah Cooper said: "We wanted to find an exciting way of giving children their first introduction to the world of sensors, so we used simple electronics to demonstrate the concepts of scanning, range finding and thermal imaging."
RAF Lossiemouth's community development officer, Sarah Riley-Evans, said the RAF was delighted this year's STEM in the Workplace event was formally run in partnership with the local authority.
“We are proud to be able to integrate with our community, and to continue to inspire and develop our young people, who are after all, the future of Moray,” she said.
