Female school pupils from S2-S6 who are interested engineering, welding and related subjects found their spark after attending a special engagement drop in event held at Forth Valley College’s Falkirk Campus recently.
‘Find Your Spark @ FVC’ was held on Wednesday 22 April from 10am-12noon and was designed specifically to encourage young women to explore opportunities in welding, engineering, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects and related technical careers in a supportive environment.
The event was supported by the ECITB (Engineering Construction Industry Training Board, Equate Scotland (For Women in STEM) and Ineos.
During the visit, students:
- Had access to and were encouraged to try state-of-the-art equipment, including Augmented Reality welding, driving simulators and other new digital technologies.
- Met and spoke with female welding apprentices gaining insight into their lived experiences as a females in these industries.
- Took part in a guided tour of the College and its facilities related to engineering and construction coursework including the FVC Skills Transition Centre's simulation suites and workshops (pictured).
- And heard from inspirational speakers working within the sector.
Victoria Pollakova (14), a third year pupil at St Mungo’s High School in Falkirk, said: “This was a great opportunity to give young women the chance to experience the STEM subject area which is traditionally male dominated. I would recommend it to other girls my age.”
Karyna Brodele (14), also a pupil at St Mungo’s, added: “The event was really good for girls who do not normally get the chance to experience these subjects. It is good that the College hosts these sorts of events and I enjoyed finding out more and having a go of the technology and equipment.”
Fiona Jackson, Curriculum Manager in FVC’s Department of STEM and Construction, said: “We were delighted to welcome several teenage girls on the day who were keen to find out more about this exciting subject area. Forth Valley College has a tremendous reputation for promoting and supporting women to enter industries that had previously been thought of as male dominated. Find Your Spark @ FVC aimed to support schools in promoting equal access to STEM and vocational pathways, broaden pupils’ understanding of post-school destinations and help them to make informed decisions about their future options. We hope we can organise similar events in the future.”
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