Below is a reference from James at Participation People who ran the Engineering UK Young Champions for the year I was involved from May 2022 to May 2023.
“Throughout the project, Izzy demonstrated a strong commitment to youth voice and influence. She actively engaged in discussions, shared valuable insights, and contributed innovative ideas to drive the project’s success. Izzy’s ability to collaborate effectively with her peers and stakeholders was commendable, and her enthusiasm for exploring engineering-related topics was truly inspiring.
Moreover, Izzy’s dedication to continuous learning and personal growth was evident throughout her participation. She eagerly embraced new challenges, sought out opportunities to develop her skills, and consistently exhibited a proactive and positive attitude. Izzy’s commitment to excellence and her ability to adapt to various project tasks made her an invaluable member of the team.
I have no doubt that Izzy’s exceptional work ethic, determination, and passion for making a difference will continue to drive her success in future endeavours. I wholeheartedly recommend her for any future job applications, college applications, or other opportunities that may come her way.”
James Rimmer
Programme Manager – Universal
Participation People
What was the Engineering UK Young Champions?
In early 2022 a small group of interested young people aged 11 to 16 (or up to 18 if they had a disability or were care leavers) that lived, worked or studied in the UK to joined as EngineeringUK Young Champions.
The group of Young Champions worked together with senior decision makers at EngineeringUK to help evaluate and improve their programmes and activities. The roles lasted for 12 months and we received AQA accredited training and were supported to work as part of a UK-wide team.
Young Champions:
- challenge the effectiveness of EngineeringUK’s programmes
- evaluate whether EngineeringUK has made the right decisions on their education programmes and activities for other young people
- consider and comment on how well programmes are helping ALL young people explore STEM careerAs a team, they will work together to ask tough questions, problem solve and build their leadership, communication and teamworking skills.
They were particularly interested in reaching young people from groups who are currently under-represented in engineering and who don’t currently have an interest in STEM subjects. The Young Champions programme was a partnership between young people, EngineeringUK and Participation People, a specialist youth engagement organisation who empower young people to inform and influence decision-making.
