Greenpower event encourages young people in engineering

Twelve brand new teams were found competing in the Goblins category (ages 9-11) at Renishaw’s Miskin site. This year’s overall winners were YGG Tonyrefail with the team Mellten Ton, who won the slalom category and snatched third place in both the drag and sprint races.

Renishaw has been involved with registered charity Greenpower as a sponsor for ten years, historically supporting the events held at Castle Combe for secondary schools and students in further education.

Renishaw’s New Mills headquarters has also hosted Greenpower races for a number of years. The in-house Renishaw teams that participate in the further education (F24+ category) and corporate challenge have had excellent results so far, winning both championships in 2015.

“We have first-hand evidence that Greenpower is a fun and meaningful experience that gets young people interested in engineering,” explained Julie Collins, Education Liaison Manager of Renishaw.

Collins went on to add that in fact, a number of the apprentices participated in a Greenpower event when they were at school. “Hosting the event in South Wales extended the reach of the positive work Greenpower does. By next year, we hope to double the number of entrants in Wales and encourage even more participants and local companies to get involved.”

“Without Renishaw’s support and the commitment of its dedicated volunteers on the day, the event in South Wales would not have been possible,” commented Jeremy Way, CEO of Greenpower. “Our relationship with Renishaw has been growing stronger over the years, it’s encouraging to see a global engineering company that really believes in our mission to inspire and excite young people into STEM careers.”

Established in 1999, Greenpower was designed to inspire young people into careers in STEM subjects, using motorsport as a hook to engage students and young adults to participate.

The project requires entrant teams to build a driveable electric car; it develops on the school curriculum and stimulates learning in electricity, materials, maths, design and technology.

The students work as part of a team to raise funds to build the cars, a process that often involves writing to local companies for fundraising. The event has seen a year-on-year increase of engagement among young people, especially girls.