Case Studies
ExDRA supports the regions first specialist engineering college
Date: 08 June 2006
A key aspect of ExDRA’s Innovation agenda has been to encourage interest amongst young people in careers involving the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics. Given this it was thrilled to be approached by Chelmer Valley High School (CVHS) who had ambitions to become, at the time, the only specialist engineering college in the East of England. After some initial help to secure the private sector funding necessary to attain “specialist status”, the school’s unique position allowed ExDRA to play a key role in attracting a variety of other support.
Significant funding was attracted from the Region to redevelop the technology block and to purchase leading edge equipment unheard of in secondary schools such as a rapid prototyping machine. Introductions were made to the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) at the University of Cambridge and this has led to an excellent relationship being formed between the two with the IfM since hosting annual groups of gifted and talented pupils from the school. ExDRA’s contacts with the engineering sector have also helped CVHS develop key relationships with local employers which are now working with the school on many different levels.
More recently, ExDRA together with the East of England Development Agency, were happy to award funding to a consortium of CVHS and the Multimedia & ICT Network for Essex to develop a website offering on-line advice for those wishing to consider careers in the high technology sectors. www.gotechnology.org.uk offers advice for those wishing to work in anything from robotics to digital animation to games development and is being used regularly by over 30 secondary schools across Greater Essex.
