Stem Ambassador
Otto Simon Ltd • January 8, 2018
Guest Blog – Vikas Saxena BEng(Hons) MSc MIET, EC&I Engineer at Otto Simon and STEM Ambassador.
I’ve been a STEM Ambassador for the past 5 years, working with schools and education organisations to encourage enthusiasm and understanding of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects, and raising an awareness of careers related to STEM.
Last November, I participated in the Loreto College Engineering & Applied Physics Speed Meet 2017. Now in its third year, this event invited fifty students from Loreto’s Sixth Form and Year 11 Students from local secondary schools across Manchester and Salford to network with engineers from a variety of STEM industries. The event comprised of two ‘speed meets’ for small groups of students to spend 5 minutes chatting with each engineer / physicist about their profession and daily job challenges. The students were then encouraged to continue discussions during networking breaks, asking us everything from types of projects we’ve worked on, to salary, typical job routines, benefits and working hours.
I was proud to participate in this event, as I believe it helps the students to analyse various options available in the job market and make an informed decision about their career. It also helps them to understand what are current challenges and requirements in certain industries so that they can align their educational path in order to suit their professional objective. It was great to see so many STEM industries represented at the event from transport and rail, to specialist equipment manufacturing, applied physics, and process, instrument and electrical engineering.
Later in the year, Otto Simon is hoping to facilitate a site visit to one of our on-going projects, aiming to inspire and engage more young people to enter the world of engineering. This technical site visit will be co-sponsored by IET. Other upcoming events I’m looking forward to being involved with for STEM are: ‘Mentor schools in the Greater Manchester Engineering Challenge’, and ‘Interview an Engineer’. Watch this space for details.
Britain has a proud engineering heritage, but there is a shortfall in qualified engineering graduates and skilled technicians. Every year there is an annual shortfall of 20,000 engineering graduates, and with only one third of parents understanding what the engineering profession is, it is up to the industry to promote STEM careers to the next generation of engineers.
2018 is officially the Year of Engineering, a year-long government campaign to support the engineering profession in recruiting the next generation of engineers. It is fantastic to see the government taking an interest in celebrating UK engineering, and as they work with industry partners, schools and families to offer young people a positive experience of engineering.
Find out more about the role of STEM Ambassadors and how you can get involved: www.stem.org.uk/stem-ambassadors
Or discover the more about the Year of Engineering 2018: www.dft.gov.uk/year-of-engineering-2018/
Back to Blog
Show More
Recent Blog Posts
The air in the office is buzzing with more than just morning coffee today – it's electric with the excitement of new beginnings! We're thrilled to officially announce that the refurbishment of our newly consolidated United House office building has kicked off! This marks a significant milestone for us as we bring together our team under one roof. By sharing one building we can reduce overheads, invest in new facilities and maintain our valued location right here in Cheadle, Manchester. This amalgamation isn't just about combining physical spaces; it's about weaving together our collective talents, fostering closer team working, and building an even more vibrant and unified company culture. So, let the transformation begin! We're incredibly excited about this new chapter and look forward to sharing the journey with all of you. Stay tuned for more updates as our new, united office takes shape!
Presenting at Energy Storage & Hydrogen Solutions Last month, our Head of Consultancy, Clare Dunkerley, was invited to speak at an event in Cyprus, hosted by Ideopsis and the British High Commission Nicosia. The Energy Storage & Solutions Conference brought together leading experts, policymakers, and industry players, with the aim of to fostering dialogue, sharing expertise, and catalysing action towards a more sustainable, resilient, and low-carbon future. The conference attracted some esteemed speakers, including introductory addresses from the Deputy High Commissioner, Adam Sandbrook and the Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, George Papanastasiou. The programme was split into 2 sessions with the first highlighting the future of energy storage, moderated by Dr Alexandros Charalambides from the Cyprus University of Technology. Staveros Stavrinos, the Executive Director of the Transmission System Operator Cyprus, explained the issues the Cyprus Energy Transmission System faced, concentrating on curtailment of renewable solar power. Michael Toumbas, of EV power Ltd, shared innovative thinking around an AI enabled electric vehicle local grid power sharing mechanism. There were also great presentations from smart grid expert Dr Andreas Procopiou and the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority. The second session concentrated on hydrogen solutions. Dr Andreas Poullikkas delivered on future energy systems while Charles Purkiss updated us on the latest developments at ITM Power. Jeremy Bowman, from Hypermotive Ltd, discussed hydrogen technology for transport and Philippa Oldham shared some work from the Advanced Propulsion Centre. An interesting Q&A session was chaired by Dr Nestor Fylaktos of the Cyprus Institute. Clare presented ‘A Safe Hydrogen Future’, addressing the importance of public perception and the imperative for no major incidents. Clare shared her experience from working on hydrogen projects and provided an insight in how to use the current UK regulatory framework in conjunction with industry codes and standards to demonstrate that risks in hydrogen projects were acceptable to all concerned. It was a fascinating conference providing a fantastic insight to the current and future energy situation in Cyprus, with plenty of time for networking and discussing hydrogen solutions and projects with all the attendees. Our thanks go to Ideopsis and the British High Commission in Nicosia for the invitation and opportunity to participate in the discussions.
Taking Safety Seriously at Otto Simon We’re proud to celebrate the achievement of our Head of Construction and Commissioning, Hugh Doble, who has recently earned his NEBOSH Certificate in Health and Safety Management for Construction. Hugh has been instrumental in the successful delivery of multiple EPC and EPCm contracts across various sectors nationwide. Our continued commitment to excellence and safety underscores the core values we uphold at Otto Simon — ensuring the wellbeing of our people and partners on every project. Congratulations Hugh! To learn more about how Otto Simon can support your Construction and Commissioning needs, get in touch with us at eng@ottosimon.co.uk .