LEGO® builds Engineers of the Future

LEGO®, the Year of Engineering, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology have teamed up for the Engineers of the Future roadshow, which will help schoolchildren get to grips with STEM skills.

LEGO® is supporting the Year of the Engineer through a national campaign which will bring children face to face with engineering experiences and role models.

The Engineers of the Future roadshow will be heading to primary schools across the UK this autumn as part of the government’s Year of Engineering campaign. Led by engineers equipped with LEGO® Education solutions, including LEGO® Education WeDo 2.0 and LEGO® Education MINDSTORMS® EV3 , the roadshow aims to inspire children by giving them access to quality hands-on learning experiences and by helping them to discover the exciting opportunities that are possible for all young aspiring engineers.

Minister for the Year of Engineering, Nusrat Ghani, said: “Engineers are at the forefront of technology and infrastructure advances which are shaping all of our lives, from how we communicate and travel to tackling major challenges in healthcare and the environment. But the opportunities of this creative, innovative and hugely important profession are all too often misunderstood and overlooked by young people and their parents.

“That’s why I’m thrilled to announce our collaboration with LEGO® as part of the Year of Engineering. LEGO®’s enduring popularity is testament to the curiosity, ingenuity and creativity that make so many children natural engineers, and Engineers of the Future is a chance to build on this – helping young people from all backgrounds discover how these skills could be their passport to a varied, well-paid and exciting career that makes a real difference to the world around them.”

LEGO® is the latest company to announce its support for the Year of Engineering, joining the likes of Apple, Usborne and the BBC along with more than 1,400 other businesses, charities, schools and colleges.

This summer, the Year of Engineering is inviting children to get curious and creative during the school holidays with The Holiday Makers campaign which encourages them to collect engineering experiences and take part in activities at home for the chance to win prizes and wow their classmates.

The engineering profession needs 203,000 skilled people each year to 2024, and has an annual shortage of 20,000 graduates. The workforce also faces a major lack of diversity – only 12% of engineers are female and just 6% come from black, Asian or minority ethnic groups. The campaign aims to help change this by giving young people in all corners of the UK the chance to take a closer look at engineering by experiencing it for themselves – from meeting engineering role models in their school to taking part in hands on activities and workshops or engineering open doors events with their families.

Find out more about the Engineers of the Future Challenge and how schools can get involved.

For details of Year of Engineering events and activities taking part across the country, including how kids can take part in the Holiday Makers challenge, head to www.yearofengineering.gov.uk.