Ella Downs, Project Manager at the Mayor's Fund for London, emphasized the transformation of students as they engaged with hands-on activities, stating, "To see students go from being understandably reserved and cautious at the start, to fully engaging with every activity was amazing. It was a completely new environment for them, but each student was open to working with the Alstom volunteers and developed their communication and teamwork skills to complete the series of tasks."
The weekly sessions introduced maths applications in the rail industry, focusing on engineering principles, problem-solving, and increasing important soft skills such as confidence and communication. Following the sessions, teachers reported significant boosts in students’ maths confidence and engagement, and some of the students are now considering a career in engineering.
Many students in the sort of alternative provision provided by Heath School do not get the option to study the wide range of subjects that are available in mainstream school, which is why career pathways such as these are so valuable. The hands-on activities they undertook paralleled tasks that happen at Alstom's apprenticeship assessment centre; encouraging teamwork and communicating under pressure.
The sessions were organized by Alstom, the Elizabeth line train manufacturer, and the Mayor's Fund for London, a charity championing opportunities for young Londoners.
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