Macclesfield News - written by local people

A representative from a government advisory group on science and learning, set up by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Department for Children, Schools and Families visited Macclesfield College recently to meet with the Principal and find out how the College promotes typically male-dominated careers to girls.

Clockwise from left: Imogen Hobson, Katie Hooley, Caitlin Leicester, Eleanor Scott.

The Science and Learning Expert Group engages with tutors in colleges and schools all over the UK to gather their experiences of science, engineering and maths education, and are interested in using Macclesfield College as a case study to demonstrate best practice.

During the visit Martin Post, Head of Watford Grammar School for Boys and member of the Science and Learning Expert Group, discovered more about girls studying Forensic Science and the work done by Kay Lees as Programme Manager for the ‘Engineering – Girls Can Do It Too’ project, which aims to introduce primary and secondary school girls to the modern engineering industry.

The Dean Valley girls pictured with (from L to R): George Martin (ECAT Training Manager), Mrs Hooley, Martin Post, Kay Lees and Rory Gallagher and Alex Morris (both Secretariats to the Science and Learning Expert Group).

Four Year 6 girls from Dean Valley Primary School were at the College’s European Centre for Aerospace Training (ECAT) on the day of the visit getting to grips with the flight simulator. Caitlin Leicester, Eleanor Scott, Imogen Hobson and Katie Hooley, who take part in regular engineering activities organised by the project, shared their experiences with Mr Post.

Talking about the project Imogen said: ‘It’s really good. I wasn’t sure at first (about the kind of engineering I’d be doing), but now I like it.’ Classmate Katie added: ‘We would love to carry on this project for as long as possible.... eventually I want to design aircraft wings and then fly a plane.’

Mrs Anne Hooley, Katie’s mum, accompanied them to the College and commented: ‘It’s really good to get the girls interested at an early age – I’ve been to visit Siemens with them and they’re now all really interested in engineering.’

The Dean Valley Girls using the flight simulator

The ‘Engineering – Girls Can Do It Too’ project was launched in March 2008 and has enjoyed great success introducing 53 girls, in its first year alone, to careers in the modern engineering industry.  For more information on the project see the news section at www.macclesfield.ac.uk