Two groups from Stockport College’s year 1 and year 2 of the full time extended diploma in Engineering have been selected for the Gen Y Rail national finals on the 25th June in Coventry and will be featured in the Gen Y Rail magazine in the coming weeks.
Two teams from Stockport College have made it through to the Gen Y Rail national final in Coventry after an eventful day at the North West heat, held in Manchester Town Hall on Tuesday this week.
Throughout the day, 16 teams from across the region were given the challenge to design a futuristic train. Once they had come up with a plan, they presented it to a Dragons’ Den style panel of industry judges.
Ideas ranged from driverless trains through to e-ticketing, solar power backups through to electro magnetised carriages and a lot more innovative ideas.
‘Total Train Integration’ and ‘Stock-portables’ (teams featured left) both from Stockport College will go on to the national final at Network Rail’s Westwood training facility in Coventry on 25 June.
Stephen Kelly, 19, a member of winning team ‘Stock-portables’, who has also been accepted onto Network Rail’s apprenticeship programme, told RTM:
“These events are great. I just wish they had been around when I was a little younger, looking to start my A-levels.
“I’m really looking forward to staring the three-year apprenticeship, especially as a career in rail is so varied.”
Saima Latif, lecturer in the engineering department at Stockport College, said how proud she was of both the teams and hoped they could do just as well in the national final.
“I am very keen to encourage children to study STEM subjects and these types of events can only help in stimulating interest in these areas going forward.”