Engineering courses for young people
Discover your potential,
shape your future
Our hands-on engineering courses give young people aged 12-17 the chance to explore different engineering disciplines and gain real insight into exciting STEM careers. From virtual workshops to residential experiences, these multi-day courses give an insight into life beyond the classroom, introduce students to industry leaders and get young people with similar interests working together on hands-on projects.
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Book a course
Find your perfect
engineering
experience
Ready to dive into the world of engineering? Browse our exciting range of courses designed for different ages and interests. Whether you’re curious about robotics, passionate about renewable energy, or fascinated by aerospace, we have the perfect course to spark your imagination.
Our multi-day courses typically run in the school holidays, with the majority over the summer break. Courses normally launch late Autumn each year.Â
Engineering courses for young people
Fully funded
places
We believe every young person should have the opportunity to explore engineering, regardless of their financial circumstances. With the help of our partners, and the funding from our founder Dr. Cosby Smallpeice, we offer fully funded places on many of our courses for students who need them most.
Funding covers course fees accommodation (for residential courses), course materials and meals during the programme. Travel bursarys are sometimes also available.
Who can apply:
- Students eligible for free school meals
- Young people from low-income families
- Students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM
- Young carers or living in Local Authority care
Course FAQs
Common course questions
What age groups do you cater for?
Courses start from age 12 and are run based on school year groups to ensure the content is age appropriate and young people are mixing with others of a similar age.
We ask that you refer to the specific course page for details. However, we generally work to the rule that if you have just finished one school year but are yet to start another, the year you have just finished dictates the courses you can apply for. So, if you finished Year 10 in July and wanted to attend a course in August before starting Year 11, you could only join a Year 10 course.
When do the courses take place?
We run a range of engineering courses during the school holidays.Â
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What's included in the course fee?
For residential courses accommodation is provided for the duration of the course (not the night before). Meals are also provided for in-person courses (usually from lunchtime on the first day to lunchtime on the last day, depending on the course timings). All course materials are provided. If we require you to bring any specific clothes etc this will be made clear on the individual course page.Â
For virtual events, any specific kit required for a project will be posted to you at home. We’ll flag any other basic household items that may be needed as part of the joining instructions. Access to a PC or laptop and a webcam are the standard requirements. Again, please see individual course pages for details.Â
What sort of activities will I do?
Whether online or in-person, all our courses are delivered by a combination of leading academics, our specialist Course Leads and/or industry experts.
What you do depends on the course you attend; for example, our Engineering Experience courses are facilitator driven and you’ll work on extended design-and-make projects, with talks by real-life engineers. Other courses are run by academics at various universities around the country: the academics design a course around their area of expertise, integrating research and new technologies into their lectures and projects. Each course includes both interactive sessions and practical activities.
On residential events we organise social activities in the evenings, such as film nights, quizzes or sports nights, as well as time to relax with your new friends after a busy day! All of the activities on our courses are designed to encourage teamwork, enhance problem-solving and communication skills, and develop your soft skills, as well as develop your academic abilities.
How do I get to the course venue?
You need to make your own way to any of our events. Take a look at our course booking page for information on locations. If cost of travel is a barrier, please contact us.Â
What safety measures are in place?
All our courses follow strict safeguarding protocols with trained Course Leads, supervisors, risk assessments, and 24/7 support for residential programmes. Special diets and other support needs can usually be catered for. Please contact us if you have any specific questions.
Home based challenges
Challenge yourself
at home
STEM challenges to keep you creating from the comfort of your own home. Try your hand at a range of different projects, using just household items.
