The enthuse partnership between South Durham UTC, STEM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), ICME, Cast Metals Federation and ten South Durham primary schools is a programme that has been developed by Jamie Smith, Vice Principle of South Durham UTC and supported by Albert Anderson, tutor at Foundry Training Services Ltd and an ICME member.
The programme offers opportunities for both teachers and students an insight into the metal casting industry and addresses the traditional underachievement in STEM subjects, it hopefully inspires excellence in the STEM curriculum and will raise aspirations for young people entering a metal casting career or encouraging further study in metal casting or engineering related subjects.
The launch activity was held at South Durham UTC on the 22nd September and was well attended by representatives from the partner schools, South Durham UTC staff and the Northern regional STEM organisation. During the launch Jamie Smith outlined the programme its advantages for both students and teachers and outlined how the activity would work over its two-year duration. He then went on to detail the bespoke training that would be available to teachers and the support that could be available from STEM ambassadors.
The final part of the session was taken up by demonstrations of the three activities involved in the programme, the first being casting chocolate into a plastic mould, the second being pewter casting of a key fob using a laser cut plywood mould and the third being a demonstration of the Cast Metals Federation casting the future kit. All activities will give students and teachers some basic knowledge of the metal casting industry and will be delivered in the first two instances by teachers in class using kits supplied by the UTC and in the case of the third activity by Albert Anderson using the CMF casting the future kit at South Durham UTC giving the students the experience of an engineering environment.
We would like to thank Albert, South Durham UTC and STEM learning for promoting the casting industry amongst the future generation!
