As part of its ongoing commitment to shaping the flow of engineering talent in the West Midlands, Birmingham-based adi Group is working with Handsworth Wood Girls Academy on a twelve-week design project.

Daniel Clulow, Design & Development Coordinator and Sarah Dullea, Group Communications Manager from adi Group dropped in to give help and advice to the enthusiastic Year 8 students half-way through their twelve week design project, which is built around a task to design a canteen area for adi Group using Sketch Up software.

The project is part of an on-going relationship between the school, adi Group and the D&T Association’s Skill Gap Programme designed to dispel some of the myths surrounding engineering and the opportunities it affords, showcasing to young women that it is not just about getting your hands dirty, but about creativity, collaboration and design.

David Cole, Technical Director at adi Water Pollution Containment said, “As an inventor I feel it’s important to share with youngsters the importance of giving things a go, even if they don’t work out quite the way they wanted them to. Engineering isn’t all about being on the shop floor; it is about being innovative and constantly searching for solutions.”

Daniel Clulow, Design & Development Coordinator said, “Working with Handsworth Wood Girls Academy on the Sketch Up design project has been very rewarding; mentoring the class and being able to provide feedback on the student’s designs was really interesting for me and I hope it has been beneficial for the students.”

Mark Billington, teacher, Handsworth Wood Girls Academy said, “It was great to have the team from adi Group in the classroom with us to provide practical feedback to the students on their projects. It’s great for us to have that business link to assist us with this first programme, and for us to deliver a lesson that’s interactive and fun for the students.”

adi Group will make a final two visits to the school during November when the judging will be made and the winners announced.