Local students take on the Science and Engineering challenge
Media releaseYear 10 students from the Geelong region and Warrnambool will take part in this year's Science and Engineering Challenge at Deakin University's Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 April.
Around 400 students from schools around the region will have the chance to participate in a range of activities showing them that science is anything but dull. Activities will include building bridges, solving a virtual maze and constructing and firing a catapult.
The head of Deakin's School of Engineering and Information Technology, Professor Kate Smith-Miles, said the event aimed to generate enthusiasm for science and engineering to redress skills shortages in the industries.
"Without enough engineering graduates coming out of universities, our society will struggle to meet the demands we place on it - demands for solutions to our water crisis, to improved roads and transportation, to improved efficiency of manufacturing, to better design of products and technologies," she said.
"With severe skills shortages growing in engineering, it is critical that we encourage school students to consider studying engineering at university.
"Part of the problem in attracting students to study engineering is that many students don't know what it is. There is no such subject as VCE engineering. The Science and Engineering Challenge is a great forum for students to be exposed to the field of engineering and appreciate how important the problems that engineers solve are to our society."
The challenge is held across Australia and at the end of the year the top eight schools battle it out in the Grand Challenge Gold final.
The Science and Engineering Challenge was first held at the University of Newcastle eight years ago to introduce students to the possibilities of science and engineering. The Geelong event is held in partnership between Deakin University, Rotary Club of Queenscliff and regional secondary schools. This year's main sponsor is the Victorian Regional Channels Authority (VRCA).