[Y]ear 12 students at Energy Coast UTC have completed their 12 week projects working with local employers to solve everyday problems with engineering skills.
Projects included, designing a solution to the litter problem in Whitehaven Marina, creating a renewable energy supply for the West Coast, removing obstacles from a blocked pipeline using remote devices and creating a storage solution for 5 million litres of contaminated water so that it can be cleaned and recycled, to name but a few.
Ian Russell, Vice Principal said: “The students working on the Whitehaven Marina project were challenged to think of innovative ways in which the existing litter issue could be managed and how it could be prevented in the future.
“Tony Taylor, Whitehaven Marina Supervisor, visited the Energy Coast UTC every week to guide the students towards workable solutions. A planned visit had to be postponed due to snow and, so that the students were not disappointed, Tony used Skype, whilst on a Marina boat, to show the students around the Harbour area.”
Tony Taylor, Whitehaven Marina said: “At Whitehaven Marina, we take great pride in the marina and the town, so the issue of floating litter and water quality is something which we tackle on a daily basis and are constantly looking at ways to reduce its impact on the environment.
“The Employer Project presented the perfect opportunity for us to engage young people in the community, highlight the impact of floating litter/pollution and inspire them to develop some innovative ideas to tackle the issue.
“With up to a tonne of litter removed per week by Whitehaven Marina staff, the students were faced with a difficult task but came through with some fantastic ideas including detachable booms, litter collecting suction pumps, floating litter cages and awareness campaigns to tackle the problem at source.
“Hopefully the project has not only provided the students with a real world engineering challenge but also raised their awareness of the impact of littering and instilled a greater sense of pride in the local area.”
Ian Russell, added: “I would like to thank Whitehaven Marina and BEP project team for their fantastic support with this Employer Project and look forward to working with both organisations again in the near future.”
