Two events were held simultaneously in Basingstoke and Edinburgh, with Amey engineers attending to support the girls receiving their ‘Guiding Girls into Engineering Badge’.
It serves as an introduction into practical STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) learning. Activities included designing and building a bridge out of straws then testing how much weight it could carry, constructing robots using motors and recyclable materials, and creating vehicles using cakes and sweets.
Isla Buchanan, senior project manager at Amey Consulting, said: “Not only did we have almost 200 girls attend the Edinburgh event, there were another 300 on the waiting list.
“I think events like this show if you make the activities fun and relatable, you can encourage young people, especially girls to take an interest in STEM. This, alongside our programmes that support teachers and encourage accessibility in the industry, can really make a difference now, and in the future.”
The company, which designed the badge, was prompted to do more when it received over 120,000 requests covering Girlguiding across the UK. As well as the engineering badge, Amey has other programmes to help engage young people in STEM.