Coleg Llandrillo welcomes 350 children for Renewable Energy Challenge
Primary and secondary pupils are learning about wind power, kinetic energy, 3D printing and more, and will compete to build the best solar-powered model cars
Coleg Llandrillo is welcoming more than 350 children from Rhyl and Prestatyn to develop their skills in a Renewable Energy Challenge.
Primary and secondary school pupils are taking part in fun STEM activities in the new engineering centre at the Rhyl campus, as part of a Welsh Government-funded initiative.
They are also being challenged to build a solar-powered model car, with the chance to win energy-related activity kits for their school.
The project got underway with the visits of pupils from Ysgol Emmanuel, Christchurch County Primary and Ysgol Dewi Sant, all in Rhyl, with Prestatyn High and Rhyl High to follow over the coming weeks.
Year 6 pupils began their day by building scaled-down wind turbines and using them to power small model cars.
With the help of RWE apprentices studying at the college’s wind turbine training facility, the children assembled the turbines from a kit, before using portable fans to power the attached batteries.
The batteries could then be detached from the turbines and transformed into cars, which would travel on their own using the energy stored up.
The children also learned about kinetic energy by building customisable tracks and racing wind-up cars on them. Then in the afternoon, they saw computer-aided design and manufacture in action in the college’s 3D printing facility.
Finally, they got to grips with the workings of electric cars when they saw a Tesla and a Nissan Leaf up close.
Coleg Llandrillo engineering lecturer Harriet Davidson, who led the day’s activities, said: “The children engaged brilliantly with everything. Whether it’s been hands-on building stuff or looking at the cars, every aspect has been quite different but they’ve engaged fantastically with all of it.
“We’ve had some really good feedback - some of the children have said they want to be engineers now, and a couple have asked how much the wind turbine kits are to buy because they want to build one at home. Obviously they all want a Tesla now as well!
“We need more engineers and we also need more women in engineering, and starting at this age is a great way to keep them interested as they go through school. It opens the children’s eyes to engineering, and gives them more opportunities to think about while they’re growing up.”
Jack Parry Jones, a teacher at Ysgol Emmanuel, said: “After speaking with the other Year 6 teacher, we’ve both said how amazing it’s been throughout the day.
“The children have absolutely loved it, and it’s been brilliant the way it’s been delivered. Especially at the end when we went to see the Tesla - I think that was probably the highlight of the day! The children have taken everything on board that the lecturers have talked about, and they’ve absolutely loved it.
“A couple of the children have said they want to come to college to do engineering - it’s made them realise there are so many potential opportunities for them.”
Tim Peel, engineering manager at Coleg Llandrillo, said: “We’ve been fortunate to obtain funding from the Welsh Government to engage with the schools with renewable energy activities.
“We have a total of just over 350 learners from five schools coming into the college to learn about kinetic energy, wind energy, electric vehicles and 3D printing, and they will also be creating a solar car.
“The new engineering centre here at Rhyl has been built to equip North Wales with the skills needed by the industry. It’s important to engage learners at a young age to raise awareness of the opportunities available in engineering, and in particular the fast-growing renewable energy sector which is crucial for all our futures.”
The £13m Rhyl engineering centre, funded by the Welsh Government's Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme and Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, is a state-of-the-art facility equipped to deliver a world-class learning experience in fields including large-scale CNC machining, robotics, rapid prototyping and more.
The centre’s renewable energy technology training facility was built in partnership with energy company RWE. Featuring an industrial-scale wind turbine servicing and maintenance hall, it is the training base for apprentices at RWE’s renewable energy sites across the UK.
Want to learn more about the exciting and innovative world of engineering? Grŵp Llandrillo Menai offers courses from Level 1 through to Degree-level. Find out more here