Introducing engineering careers to transition year students

Yvonne took part in an outreach activity for transition year (TY) students based in the Dublin area. Transition year students in Ireland aged 15–17 undertake a year of non-academic training or work experience. The activity was therefore aimed at students who are at the point in their education where they need to decide what pathway they plan to take in the next two years. Its main purpose was to show, encourage and inspire students to consider engineering as a potential future option as well as present all the different areas available in engineering.

This public engagement activity was carried out to help introduce students at an earlier stage in secondary education to the option of research in engineering as a future career pathway. Often PhDs and post-doctoral degrees aren’t discussed with students until they are in university, so the aim of this event was to show students that there are other options following studies in engineering and material science. On the day, researchers presented their work to the students in layman terms through presentations and provided experimental demonstrations to show them the research in action. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic metals were used to demonstrate how different material surfaces can attract and repel liquids from their surface. The students were also given the example of nitinol, a shape memory and superelastic metal, which can return back to its original shape after being deformed by changing its temperature. Displays of 3D printed items provided physical evidence of how 3D printers could print different materials as well as what these prints could be used for. They also received demonstrations of different engineering software such as ANSYS and Solidworks. Through this mixture of presentations and demonstrations the students gained a thorough experience of how engineering can be found everywhere in their daily lives and how important it is. The presenters also talked about the diversity of the researchers' backgrounds, to help the students understand that anyone and everyone interested in engineering can do engineering. The main message of the day was “Anyone can become an engineer”.

A poll was held to see if the students enjoyed the visit and from this we found that the visit helped 94.4% of students understand engineering and research in engineering while 57.4% of students were actually interested in studying and working in engineering in the future.

Yvonne Omowunmi-Kayode

This project provided meaningful and lasting impacts for both education and the broader engineering community by introducing TY students to engineering at a pivotal moment in their secondary school career. By giving a first hand look at research in engineering and materials science, and breaking down the fundamentals of the subjects, the subjects become more understandable and accessible to the students. Exposure to the sector at an earlier stage can play a critical part in shaping their future career choices, especially for students who are unsure of engineering and what it entails. Encouraging students to explore the wide range of engineering opportunities available helps to support innovation, sustainability and technological progress. As industries continue to evolve and grow, they will require more STEM expertise and by encouraging and inspiring young people to consider engineering as an option we provide future benefits for society and the general public through the development of technology and smarter digital systems. 

Biography

Yvonne Omowunmi-Kayode is a PhD researcher in I-Form based at Dublin City University working on the topic of Surface Engineering. She completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering at the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at DCU and is working toward her PhD in the Advanced Metallics Systems sector. She is currently in her third year of the PhD and her main research interests are in the areas of materials and surface characterisation, laser processing and surface engineering and their use in the biomedical sector. She works on optimising the surface of metals to improve the hydrophobicity and anti-biofouling properties of metals.