Siemens Mobility in Goole, East Yorkshire, is opening the eyes of young children at a local primary school to exciting future careers in engineering.
The company, which is developing a pioneering rail facility in Goole, has donated an outdoor facility to nearby Airmyn Park Primary School for use as a unique new learning space.
The open-sided unit, designed to look like a train carriage and with seating and tables, was originally built by Siemens Mobility to use for outdoor meetings during the time when Covid restrictions prevented indoor gatherings.
It was previously located on the open top floor of a temporary project office at the site of the new rail facility, where it also acted as a viewing platform during ongoing construction works.
Now, Siemens Mobility has transported the unit to Airmyn Park Primary School, in Airmyn, near Goole, for use as an outdoor learning space. Specifically, it will be used for children to learn about engineering.
In partnership with Primary Engineer and the Government’s Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Siemens Mobility has supported the Primary Engineer Rail Project across 13 primary schools in the Goole area.
Primary Engineer is designed to ignite interest and curiosity in exciting careers in engineering among local children from a young age.
It aims to bridge the gap between education and industry by engaging pupils with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects through practical engineering-based project work.
Designated STEM Ambassadors from Siemens Mobility have supported hundreds of pupils from the ages of four to 11 with rail-themed engineering projects and concepts such as design, problem-solving and testing and evaluation.
Siemens Mobility and Primary Engineer recently held an event to celebrate the work of pupils who took part in the project.
Natalie Thornton, Senior Project Coordinator at Siemens Mobility in Goole and STEM Ambassador for Airmyn Park Primary School, said: “We want to inspire local youngsters and open their eyes to the exciting engineering opportunities available to them in the area.
“Airmyn Park is a fantastic primary school, with wonderful teachers and staff, but space is limited, so this will effectively provide an extension of the school. It will be an ideal outdoor learning space for children at the school, in which they can work on their engineering projects.
“We’re delighted and proud to be able to support the school, as well as others across the area. We hope to see some of these children working in rewarding careers in engineering in years to come.”
Around 100 children attend Airmyn Park Primary School across four classes.
Natalie Dodds, Head of School, said: “This donation and the ongoing support we’re getting from Siemens Mobility is invaluable and we can’t thank them enough.
“The children are all incredibly excited to be working with Siemens Mobility and it’s really important to be able to bring in outside experts to show them the opportunities that are available to them all.
“The new facility is absolutely fantastic. Like every room in a school like this, it will have a number of different uses, but primarily it will be used as an outdoor learning area where the children will have the space to work on practical work, such as the Primary Engineer projects.”
Siemens Mobility is investing up to £200m in the rail facility at Goole, which will create around 700 direct jobs, with a further 250 roles during the construction phase and an additional 1,700 indirect supply chain opportunities.
The factory is scheduled to open in 2023 when it will begin manufacturing state-of-the-art Tube trains for the Piccadilly line on the London Underground. It will be complemented by a neighbouring research, development and innovation cluster and co-located supplier facilities.
GMI Construction Group is the principal design and build contractor for the project and provided the gravel base on which the unit is placed in the playground at Airmyn Park Primary school.
The donation, and Siemens Mobility’s involvement in the Primary Engineer programme, is the latest demonstration of the company’s commitment to supporting the local community, which has included jointly funding enhancements to Oakhill Nature Reserve and supporting Goole’s Two Rivers Community Pantry food bank.
