Design Engineer Jack Wilson and Projects Engineer Emma Reiss from Jenx recently had the opportunity to speak to local school pupils about engineering as a career pathway.
At Jenx, we are big believers in pushing engineering as a career option for everyone. The UK is one of the lowest performers in Europe with the lowest number of females going into an engineering profession, so there is work to be done to ensure that people of all genders get the opportunities they deserve.
Jack Wilson works as a Design Engineer at Jenx, and he was recently invited by the University of Sheffield, alongside colleague Emma Reiss, to speak to Year 2 pupils from High Hazels Academy and Year 5 pupils from St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School in Sheffield about engineering careers.
Jack said: “The main aim of the talk was to convey the message that engineering can be for anyone. It’s beneficial to have diversity in teams because you can achieve more creative outcomes with people from different backgrounds and experiences.”
During the session, the pupils were invited to ask questions about engineering and topics such as the skills, qualifications and training needed, what inspired Jack and Emma to pursue engineering as a career and bringing in new technology to the profession were discussed.
Jack added: “Quite often I think the role of an engineer is misunderstood and people don’t realise how versatile the discipline is. For example, an engineer could either be developing the qualities of titanium or they might be repairing machinery. The breadth of the discipline can sometimes make it difficult to understand what an engineer is. One aim is to understand what qualities you have and whether they would suit the role of an engineer and then you can home in on a more specific role further down the line.
“These talk days are great because we get inspiration in all kinds of places and they are great opportunities for the kids to learn more about the world they’re in and how it’s being shaped. I remember a university student doing a talk in college and his work inspired me to go down the university route.”
