UTC Swindon students will be putting their engineering and teamwork skills to the test in a live scenario after successfully qualifying to take part in the Royal Navy Engineering challenge. Teams from across the UK were given a command brief to design an unmanned, powered, remotely operated system capable of clearing objects from the sea bed. After submitting design reports showing their proposed solution, a team from UTC Swindon was successful in being selected for the competition finals on 21st March.

During the day-long final, the team will build its system and test it in a live situation using the facilities of the Newcomen hangar, where current Royal Navy Air Engineering technicians train. The team will have two opportunities to use the system that they’ve built to clear objects from the test area – a 3m x 3.4m water tank including hazards and structures that they must navigate. The students will also be tasked with delivering a presentation about their design and approach. The winners will be the teams who combine manoeuvrability, endurance, design quality and innovation with the most objects cleared from the test area.

Principal of UTC Swindon, Jon Oliver, wished his team good luck: “This is a fantastic chance for the team to put into practice the engineering skills and teamwork that they learn here every day. The competition echoes the real-world approach that we take to learning at UTC Swindon. Our students have devised some ingenious responses to the challenge set by the Royal Navy and I wish them every success for the finals.”

Team member Anthony Moran is looking forward to the final: “I think that this challenge is good for students because it gives us a chance to work with our friends on a large project, I have really liked having a laugh with my friends and having a bit of extra time with them after school, my team have worked hard to get to where we are this also gives us the chance to understand more on the making of boats/ ships, our teacher has been very supportive for all the teams which we are thankful for. Me and my team mates are really looking forward to spending the night on HMS Bristol the night before the full event, I would encourage anyone to have a go no matter how good a builder/ designer they are.”

The finalists will have the unusual opportunity of staying on Royal Navy warship HMS Bristol, a type 82 Destroyer, which is berthed in Portsmouth, prior to the competition.

Find out how the Royal Navy Engineering team got on at UTC Swindon’s Open Event on Saturday 24th March!

Prospective students and their parents are invited to find out how the Royal Navy Engineering Challenge team fared and be inspired about their future careers at UTC Swindon’s Open -Event on Saturday 24th March from 10am to 1pm. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the UTC’s outstanding facilities with current students and hear about the distinctive, workplace-style environment of the UTC and the way the school prepares future engineers, technicians and industrial innovators to pursue exciting careers.

For more information about UTC Swindon’s participation in the Royal Navy Engineering Challenge and if you are interested in talking to UTC Swindon about this further please contact Helen Hopper or Claire Auzanneau at C8 Consulting on 01189 497736 or email helen@c8consulting.co.uk or claire@c8consulting.co.uk and/or visit www.utcswindon.co.uk