SCHOOLS RAISE THEIR GAME WITH FORK LIFT CHALLENGE
Students from five Doncaster schools have been working flat out for the past six weeks to design a forklift truck for global logistics company Kuehne + Nagel.
The Technology Challenge, organised by Business & Education South Yorkshire (B&E-SY), involved over 50 primary and secondary students who were challenged by Kuehne+ Nagel
to design and make a model of a forklift truck, which could be used in the recycling area of the B&Q distribution centre warehouse on Rockingham Way, Doncaster.
The Years 6 and 7 students from RidgewoodSchool, ScawsbyRosedalePrimary School, Richmond HillPrimary School, BarnburghPrimary School and SprotboroughCopleyJuniorSchool had to work towards a strict brief, making sure the model could lift and place a bale of compressed cardboard onto a standard pallet to a height of at least 5cm.
This week the students were brought together at Ridgewood School for the Final where they went all out to impress a panel of judges made up of Kuehne+ Nagel Operations Managers Ian Royle and Paul Wrench, HR Officer Kerry Nicolson, Shift Manager Jason Massey, Chief Executive of Doncaster Chamber Stephen Shore, B&E-SY Deputy Chief Executive Beryl Henshaw and Chris Nattress Head of Business Studies and Consumer Services from Doncaster College.
The students were judged on the quality of their construction, its health and safety aspects and the speed of the truck in a timed run over a half metre distance.
Mary Milburn from B&E-SY said: “The purpose of this Technology Challenge is to stimulate students to think about engineering as a future career path. We would like to thank Kuehne+ Nagel for their input as it has given the students a real insight into the logistics industry, especially highlighting the importance of health and safety in the workplace. The project also has a transitional aspect as many of the Year 6 primary children will be starting at Ridgewood next term, so it enables them to experience their new secondary school and meet some of their new school friends and teachers before they come here in September.”
The winning team, Techno Guys from Ridgewood School, was made up of Year 7 students Danielle Mitchell, Liam Raymond, Vicki Milner, John Gibson, Bethany Merritt, Rebecca Vaughan, Reece Norton, Alex Hodgkinson, Matthew Boswell and Casey Bubb, winning £100 vouchers for their school.
Techno Guys team member Matthew Boswell said: “The project has been really good fun and it has definitely made me think about engineering as a future career. The best part has been working in a team as it has brought all our ideas together and helped us build new friendships.”
Kuehne + Nagel Operations Manager Ian Royle was impressed with all the students’ designs. He said: “I was bowled over when I saw the prototypes, they were all fantastic! The students have been completely engaged by the project, putting a lot of thought, effort and time into their designs. By taking part in the challenge the students have learnt about the mechanics of building a forklift truck and health and safety in the workplace, as well as gaining an insight into companies such as ourselves. The winning team was chosen because they had taken health and safety into consideration, produced an impressive mechanical prototype, conducted some fantastic research and gave a good presentation.”
This year is the ninth year of the Technology Challenge and is the largest to date, involving 27 businesses, over 100 Doncaster schools and 3,500 pupils aged between 10 and 16 years.
For further information on how to get involved in enterprise activities contact Business & Education South Yorkshire on 01709 336 700 or visit the website www.be-sy.co.uk.
Business & Education South Yorkshire is the lead organisation in this area responsible for creating and sustaining mutually beneficial relationships between businesses and schools. This involves organising a number of enterprise events throughout the year, as well as planning placements for over 17,000 work experience students. On an annual basis, B&E-SY works with 8,000 local businesses