Covid-19 restrictions didn’t stop us … The Inspiration for Innovation Network virtually inspired students across Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire
“The content of the Inspiration for Innovation virtual event was really good and the majority of our students were thinking much deeper about the skills and knowledge needed for many career pathways. The speed networking was interactive and gave students a real opportunity to discuss with adults what their jobs were like. The speakers had a great presence about them and pitched it right to engage with the students when talking with them.”
Suzy Pykett, Assistant Headteacher, Director of Sixth Form, The Buckingham School
During April and May, the Automotive 30% Club ran three virtual inspirational events at Sponne School and The Buckingham School in Buckinghamshire and Kingsthorpe College in Northamptonshire. These events are an integral part of the year-long Inspiration for Innovation Network activities and allow our volunteers from across the automotive sector and MEPC Silverstone Park to engage with young people about careers in automotive, technology, and engineering, as well as tackling gender stereotypes and career segregation.
In total 34 volunteers from MEPC Silverstone Park and the Automotive 30% Club member companies inspired 650 students. At all three events, the students watched talks by the co-sponsors Stuart Miles MD of Keyloop and Roz Bird, Commercial Director MEPC, Silverstone Park, supported by a variety of inspiring films, panel sessions, and an interactive Career Speed Networking Event. Throughout each event, we also ran an interactive quiz, where form classes were able to win on-the-spot prizes. The teachers had as much fun as the students trying to be the first class to submit the correct answers!
We would like to publicly thank all the volunteers for supporting these events and giving up their time to inspire the next generation of engineers, technologists, and automotive professionals. The volunteers were from an array of companies including Performance Projects, Phoenix Sports Media, Delta Motorsport, Lunaz Design, TD Group, CMC Media, Course Concierge, and Glanville Consultants, all located at MEPC Silverstone Park. From the Automotive 30% Club, the companies involved were Keyloop, Enterprise Holdings, Bentley Motors, Jardine Motors Group, and Inchcape UK.
“Such a fantastic and rewarding experience being involved as a volunteer in the Inspiration for Innovation event with the students of Sponne School. I was really encouraged to hear the considered and thought-provoking questions asked by the students on important topics such as diversity and inclusion and the value of having transferable social skills in the workplace. I hope the students took as much out of the sessions as I did, and better still, that they may even consider the exciting world of automotive for their future career path! Thanks again to the teachers and students at Sponne School for welcoming me into their classrooms today.”
Angela Jemison, Retail Marketing Manager, Inchcape UK
Finally, initial results show that the students found the events interesting and informative and that the information imparted to them will have a positive lasting effect.
“Our teaching and support staff were in awe at the scale of the event and were impressed with the professional feel the students experienced throughout the day. Students are still talking about it now, sharing their experiences of the day with each other, teachers and parents.”
Scott Wade, Senior Deputy Headteacher, Kingsthorpe College
We enjoyed these inspirational events immensely and look forward to holding them again in 2022.