Re: [Sheflug] Winners Announced at the PA Raspberry Pi-making Competition Awards Ceremony

[Robert Holland <bobholland@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 21 March 2013 15:09, Richard Ibbotson <richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hi
>
>
> http://www.paconsulting.com/events/the-pa-raspberry-pi-competition-winners-announced/
>
>
> This IS advertising but the point of this is that schools in Sheffield
> should be involved in something like this.  There is a useful short
> film on this page.  Have a look.
>
>
Thanks for posting this link Richard and good on PA Consulting for taking
the initiative with this. I would like to see something like this done in
every school in the country with a small cash prize being awarded each term
for the best project. There are around 3000 secondaries in the UK so a £100
cash prize each term works out at around £1m per year - roughly the same as
the recent QE Engineering Prize - but this sum really is peanuts if we
believe recent reports of a shortage of 40,000 - 100,000 home-grown STEM
graduates each year. Having been inspired as a teenager growing up in
Dinnington to follow a career in electronics by Bob Moog and Practical
Electronics, I believe this 'little-and-often' approach would have far more
impact on the aspirations of our young people (especially in some of our
more deprived areas) than a once-a-year major award which, for the vast
majority, will remain forever beyond their horizons.

Apologies for my lack of involvement with Sheflug recently but I have been
working on some of these issues for the last couple of years.

It was good to see Andy Hopper (currently the president of the IET) at the
end of the video.

If anyone has any comments on the above - positive or negative - then
please let me know, as identifying areas of best practice to encourage and
inspire young people is occupying a big chunk of my volunteer work with the
IET.

Bob

-- 
R E B Holland BEng CEng FIET (Bob)
+44 1909 568630 | bobholland@xxxxxxxxxxxx | http://www.throapham-house.co.uk|
http://www.bradwell.net
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