Lucy Powell MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Education toured WMG Academy for Young Engineers in Coventry yesterday, Tuesday 26^th April, on her visit to Coventry.

The WMG Academy for Young Engineers, based in Westwood, is one of two exciting new learning campuses catering for 14-18 year olds from Coventry, Warwickshire, Solihull, and Birmingham, giving students the skills they need to become the UK’s future inventors and engineers. The Academy is supported by some of the largest employers in the region who help to deliver a dynamic curriculum, underpinned by a radical learning and teaching approach designed around the needs of both students and employers.

Ms Powell was greeted by Kate Tague, Executive Principal of the WMG Academy Trust. She heard about the developments with the WMG Academy for Young Engineers in Solihull and watched presentations from students before being given a tour of the specialist facilities. Here she was able to see how students put their learning into practice. The visit finished with a small group of students having the opportunity to undertake a Q&A session with her.

Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, Lucy Powell MP, said:

“I am delighted to have seen at first hand the ground breaking work of the WMG Academy. It was humbling to meet such committed teachers who clearly wanted to give their pupils a first class start in life. It was refreshing to hear from Lord Bhattacharyya how he has harnessed the local business community to support this school.

I especially enjoyed my question and answer session with a group of pupils. It is very clear that they are interested in politics but clearly want to know what politicians can do to improve their lives and those of their fellow citizens.

This was an example of an excellent academy school. It brings together local business people, parents and pupils making a real difference to people’s lives and enabling the local economy to thrive for everyone’s benefit. This is in sharp contrast to the government’s programme to force all good and outstanding schools to become an academy against their wishes by 2022."

Kate Tague, Executive Principal of the WMG Academies for Young Engineers said “We were delighted to welcome Lucy Powell to the WMG Academy for Young Engineers and present to her our student achievements in F1 in Schools, Greenpower and Rising Star awards. It was a privilege to be able to show her the work that our students have produced in Engineering using our outstanding specialist facilities and fantastic that they had the opportunity to have a question and answer session with her.”

Previously in the day, she had met with Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, Chairman of WMG at the University of Warwick. She also met with undergraduates working on national and international student competitions including Formula student, Warwick Rail Challenge and Warwick Sub. As well as speaking with Doctorate researchers working in energy and smart connected vehicles research.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, said “I was delighted to see the interest that Lucy had in all of our students, both here at WMG and at the Academy. It is the young people of today who will be our experts of the future. At WMG we work closely with industry, in all of our education programmes, to ensure that we are developing the skills in engineering that the UK needs in which to sustain its future.”

Alex Buxton
Communications Manager
Tel: 02476 150423
Mob: 07876 218166
a.buxton.1@warwick.ac.uk