Experiencing engineering – increasing the attractiveness of engineering through period of work experience for lower secondary school pupils

This practice paper presents a novel way of designing a work experience program for lower secondary school pupils, combining university and company activities. The program aims to broaden pupils understanding of engineering jobs and the educational pathways that lead to them. To highlight and illustrate the need for a diverse engineering workforce, the program was specifically targeted at young women and students from immigrant backgrounds. The experience of the first pilot was positive for both the students and the university and company personnel. However, it was also found that communicating the expert nature of the engineering work can be a challenging task.