London, UK, 2015-Jul-03
School Children at London transport museum depot in acton at Inspire Engineering day
This year saw the start of a new three-year partnership with Siemens to sponsor Inspire Engineering. Developed with London Transport Museum and Transport for London the initiative is designed to encourage young people to consider careers in the transport sector to reduce the 55,000 shortfall in engineers* facing Britain’s industries.
A key element of Inspire Engineering’s success is for children to meet, question and interact with real-life engineers. So far this academic year, more than 20 Siemens engineers from its road and rail operations, together with TfL employees, have volunteered 500 hours of their time as Inspire Engineering Ambassadors, helping young people build an understanding of engineering as a lifelong career and not just a subject choice.
This is delivered through Inspire Days at London Transport Museum Depot in Acton for Key Stage 3 pupils (age 11 -14), Primary Inspire for younger children (age 7-11) at the main Museum site in Covent Garden and through outreach workshops and activities with schools and students and families across London.
Broomwood Hall School visited one of the recently over-subscribed Inspire Engineering Days at London Transport Museum Depot in Acton. After a day of activities and interviews with engineers from Siemens one student commented:
‘I was surprised to learn that engineering is all around us. It’s really important and engineers play a big part in the world around us.’
Gordon Wakeford, Managing Director of Siemens Mobility, the transport division of Siemens said:
“From our involvement in major rail infrastructure projects such as Crossrail and Thameslink to our significant traffic maintenance contracts in the capital, we’re committed to improving transport with the latest technologies.
“We’re planning now for the people and skills we need in the future to help us deliver the transport requirements a growing city like London will require and, as a large STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) employer, we are delighted to see the reach of Inspire Engineering increasing.”
Sam Mullins, Director of London Transport Museum said:
“It’s great to see that with the support of Siemens, the work delivered through the Inspire Engineering programme will continue to grow. Inspire Engineering is an excellent and necessary programme which will help us to engage young people with engineering and develop the next generation of transport engineers”.
Tricia Riley HR Director Transport for London added:
“It is critical for engineering organisations to work together to address the scarcity of key skills we all face. To this end we are delighted to be working with Siemens and London Transport Museum in this unique partnership to inspire the next generation of engineers”
London Transport Museum recently launched a new All Aboard family play zone which encourages young girls and boys to try out a fleet of mini vehicles. Children can pretend to drive a Tube train, bus, taxi or river boat and dress up in uniforms to become a mechanic, river captain or station announcer. Making engineering and transport a fun and interesting learning experience may help to produce tomorrow’s much needed train designer or signaling operator.
Highlighting the partnership between Siemens and London Transport Museum, both organisations will be hosting a joint behind the scenes transport discovery open weekend event in September in Acton, West London, for families called Design Uncovered.
London Transport Museum Depot in Acton, west London will throw open its doors to visitors on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September, allowing children and adults to delve into the design history of London’s transport, whilst the Heathrow Express Old Oak Common Traincare Facility in Acton where Siemens maintains the Class 332 and 360/2 trains will be open on Saturday 26 September. This will offer families a rare behind the scenes look at an operational train maintenance site. Heathrow Express will be providing a free shuttle bus service between the two sites on 26th September.
To buy tickets for the Museum Depot Open Weekend, which includes the opportunity to visit Siemens’ Heathrow Express Old Oak Common Traincare Facility on the Saturday, please go to: http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/museum-depot/open-weekends
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Notes to Editors
* The UK is facing a shortfall of 55,000 Engineering technicians and professional between 2012 and 2022 (Engineering UK: the State of Engineering Report 2015)
Media contacts:
Siemens
Emma Whitaker
Tel: 079212 46942
Email: emma.whitaker@siemens.com
London Transport Museum
Candice Jones – PR and Marketing Manager,
Tel: 020 7565 7448
Email: candice.jones@ltmuseum.co.uk
Transport for London
TfL Press Office
Tel: 0845 604 4141
Email:pressoffice@tfl.gov.uk
About Siemens
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal year 2014, which ended on September 30, 2014, Siemens generated revenue from continuing operations of €71.9 billion and net income of €5.5 billion. At the end of September 2014, the company had around 357,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
About London Transport Museum
London Transport Museum is situated in the heart of Covent Garden and filled with stunning exhibits; the Museum explores the powerful link between transport and the growth of modern London, culture and society since 1800. Historic vehicles, world-famous posters and the very best objects from the Museum’s extraordinary collection are brought together to tell the story of London’s development and the part transport played in defining the unique identity of the city. London Transport Museum’s charitable work benefits 150,000 young people a year through inspirational, preventative and restorative projects which address the issues that face London today, help young people into employment and inspire young people to take up careers in transport.
The Museum’s registered charity number is 1123122. www.ltmuseum.co.uk
About London Transport Museum Depot
The Depot at Acton houses over 320,000 items which include the Museum's celebrated poster collection, vehicles, signs, photographs, engineering drawings and uniforms. Together these form one of the most comprehensive and important records of urban transport anywhere in the world.
About Transport for London
2015 marks 100 years of women working in transport, with women taking on operational roles in the First World War and being involved in building landmarks such as Waterloo Bridge, dubbed the 'Ladies Bridge', which opened in December 1945. TfL is working with Crossrail, the Department for Transport, Network Rail, the Women’s Transportation Seminar and Women’s Engineering Society and others to celebrate the contribution that women have and continue to make to the transport industry.
Since 2008, TfL and its supply chain have created over 10,000 graduate and apprenticeship roles to ensure that it has sufficient and sustainable capability to meet demand for now and the future.
About Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express was launched in 1998 and carries an average of 17,000 passengers a day. It is the fastest rail link from London to Heathrow, with a journey time of just 15 minutes to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 (a few minutes more for Terminals 4 and 5). Operated 150 services (5.8 million passengers in total in 2014)
