Careers and education
Through their innovative programmes, competitions and qualifications, Primary Engineer demonstrates the relevance of mechanical engineering to young minds. Together we are nurturing the next generation of engineers, and significantly expanding the pool of young people and teachers who are well-informed about the field.
Why is our partnership so important?
We partner with Primary Engineer to deliver IMechE’s Education & Skills objectives. This alignment presents exciting opportunities for collaboration in shaping the future of engineering education. It complements our goal to inspire, engage, support and influence a diverse range of stakeholders, including pupils, students, teachers, and careers professionals, all aiming to grow and diversify the engineering talent pipeline.
How do Primary Engineer make a difference in schools?
Primary Engineer's Annual Report 2023-2024 showcases their achievements in advancing engineering education and inspiring future innovators. The report reveals their extensive reach, with over 117,000 pupils engaged in the 2023-2024 academic year alone. This figure underscores their commitment to broadening young people's exposure to engineering concepts and career opportunities. Their reach touches schools from bustling city centres to expansive rural areas.
Their engineering curriculum aligns perfectly with our objective of providing high-quality, inclusive, relevant, and engaging outreach activities. Primary Engineer has equipped over 2,000 educators in the past year, giving teachers the necessary tools to deliver exceptional engineering education and awareness.
The Primary Engineer Programmes allow classes in Upper and Lower Primary (KS1 and KS2) to take part in a practical project, building the confidence of teachers delivering STEM-based classroom activities that focus on engineering, and raise the aspirations of pupils. This supports our goal of providing training and development to members and volunteers, enhancing success and impact and fostering a solid foundation in STEM education.
How does our partnership collaborate with the engineering industry?
In 2023-2024,1608 engineering and technology professionals volunteered their time and engaged with teachers and students. Their involvement helped Primary Engineer showcase the variety of engineering careers and opportunities, making the field come alive. We at IMechE fully support this approach, as it aligns with our emphasis on employer engagement and ensures that engineering education remains relevant to industry needs. It also bolsters our aim to provide engaging outreach activities, career materials, and work experience opportunities.
Primary Engineer's commitment to helping all children realise their potential through engineering engagement resonates strongly with our goal of diversifying the engineering talent pipeline. In 2023-2024, their Leaders Award competition, which asks the question “If you were an engineer, what would you do?” had 75,876 pupils aged 3-19 across the UK participate. This competition exemplifies this approach by encouraging students to identify real-world problems and design engineered solutions with every pupil receiving a named and graded certificate from an engineer.
Join us in 2025
We look forward to a continued partnership with Primary Engineer, and another year of reaching communities all over the UK, with continued participation and support from our members. We would like to thank all members who have been involved with Primary Engineer over the last year and encourage those that haven’t to register with them directly on their website: https://www.primaryengineer.com/engineers/