EES

The Engineering Education Scheme (EES) is run by the Engineering Development Trust (EDT), and is an opportunity for students to work on a real world engineering problem, learning project management and team-working skills, as well as experience of communication and collaboration with engineers from industry.  Swanshurst has worked with National Rail, and this year the Controls & Data Systems part of Rolls-Royce.

Students work in teams of 4-6, having weekly meetings with their engineering mentors, and must work towards a solution to the problem.  They have to research the relevant technical and engineering understanding, and then possible solutions. They then select their preferred solution and create a model, display and presentation to explain this to an assessment panel of engineers at the EDT Celebration & Assessment Day.

Students develop important skills that are useful in Sixth Form, and in higher education and beyond.  The project and their experience becomes an important element of their CV, but they also work towards a CREST Gold Award - which is recognised by UCAS - and now also an Industrial Cadet Gold Award.