HETA opens doors to engineering experience

Jess Elliff of Frederick Gough School with Lucy Jessop of HETA and with fellow student Callum Sycamore.

SCHOOL students from across the Humber region were given a taste of life in an engineering workshop as one of the area’s leading training providers expanded its work experience programme.

For the first time Humberside Engineering Training Association (HETA) opened its centre at Foxhills Industrial Estate to welcome young people from three schools in the Scunthorpe area.

HETA was rewarded with a strong turnout from Frederick Gough School, St Lawrence Academy and Winterton Community Academy, which all sent pupils to spend a week at the centre.

Lucy Jessop, Schools Engagement Assistant at HETA, said the level of interest among students in the Hull area encouraged the company to offer work experience at Foxhills, which only opened in September 2014.

Lucy said: “It’s clear from careers fairs that a lot of students don’t know what engineering is or what HETA does. We wanted to give them some experience of engineering. Rather than just read about it they can actually do it hands-on and see different aspects of engineering.

“A lot of them said they didn’t realise the work would be this advanced. They thought it would be really simple. Some of them thought they were just coming to make the tea! They’ve all said it’s more enjoyable than they expected.

“It benefits the students to see for themselves what engineering is about and to talk to the instructors and to the apprentices – especially apprentices from their schools because that shows them what they can achieve.”

Jenson Chamberlain, who comes from Scunthorpe and is a student at Frederick Gough School, said: “I came because I want to be an engineer and I wanted to see what it was like and what the different opportunities are for engineers. I’ve been doing some electrical work and I’ve also taken a gearbox apart.”

Jess Elliff, another Frederick Gough School students from Scunthorpe, said: “I knew HETA provided training but I didn’t know any more than that. I’m mainly interested in civil or structural engineering but now I’d like to find out more about electrical engineering.”

Grant Edmonds, electrical instructor at HETA, said the students had worked hard, learned a lot and now needed to build on that.

He said: “I am sure they have more of an interest in engineering now than when they arrived. We also talked about the importance of turning up on time and about putting effort into maths and English. Now they’ve got a year to go away and think about it and hopefully we’ll see some of them at our open days with employers.”

Jo Roche, the work-related learning co-ordinator at Fredrick Gough School, said: “As a school we believe that work experience is an invaluable opportunity for our students. We have a focus on employability skills in school alongside academic attainments and work experience is a perfect way for young people to further develop these skills as well as gaining new knowledge and experience.

“We also find that the students really gain in confidence and maturity. We really appreciate the input from the local business community which allows us to offer every one of our year 10 students the opportunity to participate in work experience".