• Around 400 post-16 students from 20 schools to take part in University of Warwick education programme
• Students will experience the British Science Festival, this year held in partnership with the University of Warwick
• Local employers including Jaguar Land Rover organise employability activities
• More information: https://britishsciencefestival.org/

Post-16 students from across Coventry and Warwickshire will get a glimpse into the future – and the tools to shape their own – as they develop their employability skills with some of the region’s top employers at the University of Warwick.

Around 400 post-16 students will take part in an education programme organised by the University of Warwick as part of the British Science Festival next week, giving them the opportunity to discover cutting edge science whilst gaining insight into their future careers.

Held in partnership with the University of Warwick, the Festival will transform Coventry and Warwickshire into a celebration of science and culture from Tuesday 10 – Friday 13 September. Events have been curated to highlight the region’s strengths in digital technologies, smart cities and the future of energy and healthcare.

Over the four days of the British Science Festival students from twenty schools in Coventry, Warwickshire and beyond will be hosted on the University of Warwick campus, where they will get involved in interactive activities designed to boost employability skills, as well as exploring the cutting edge science showcased at the Festival.

Each day five schools will spend a morning in interactive activities arranged by Festival sponsors including Jaguar Land Rover and Cadent. They will then attend two talks given by the British Science Association’s Award Lecturers, which recognise and promote the pivotal research being carried out in the UK by early-career scientists. They can then take a tour of the University of Warwick campus to see first-hand what university life is like.

The programme has been designed to give students the opportunity to experience the Festival, to learn about career possibilities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), to meet early career researchers, to talk to local employers, and gain key employability skills such as problem solving, teamwork and communication. The organisers have worked with the University’s Widening Participation Team to design a programme that helps support young people in making important decisions about their futures.

Jane Furze, Director of Public Engagement at the University of Warwick, said: “Coventry and Warwickshire offers a wealth of career opportunities in local STEM industries and we are pleased to be working with local employers and the British Science Festival to help guide young people through the range of options open to them.”

Ivvet Modinou, Director of the British Science Festival, said: “The British Science Festival provides the opportunity for people to get a glimpse at the breadth of science and its impact on society. This year, we’re delighted to welcome students who may be interested in continuing their journey with science, and hope the Festival inspires them to consider how science could be a future career.”

British Science Festival partner Jaguar Land Rover have organised one of the interactive sessions, and supported travel for the participating schools.

Chris Thorp, Responsible Business Director at Jaguar Land Rover, said: “The British Science Festival is a fantastic celebration of the best Britain has to offer in the world of Science & Technology and the perfect match for Jaguar Land Rover. Computer engineering and software skills are more important than ever in the rapidly changing automotive industry, and that will only increase as we see more autonomous, connected and electric vehicles on the roads.”

Held in partnership with the University of Warwick, the British Science Festival will transform Coventry and Warwickshire into a celebration of science and culture from Tuesday 10 – Friday 13 September. Events have been curated to highlight the region’s strength in digital technologies, smart cities and the future of energy and healthcare. Check out the programme of 100+ events here.

Immediately following the Festival, on Saturday 14 September, the University of Warwick will be hosting an extra special Family Day. Aimed at families from Coventry and Warwickshire, especially children up to the age of 11, the event will be a jam-packed day of discovery and exploration. For more information, visit: www.warwick.ac.uk/familydays 

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Notes to editors:

About the British Science Festival

The British Science Festival is one of Europe’s largest science festivals and regularly attracts hundreds of the UK’s top scientists and speakers to discuss the latest developments in science with the public. Working in partnership with the University of Warwick and other organisations in the Coventry and Warwickshire region, the Festival will entertain an audience of non-specialist adults with a broad interest in science, delivering 100 specially curated events. Over 15,000 visitors attend the talks, workshops, performances and activities.

The Festival has been the stage for many iconic moments in history – such as the famous debate on Darwin’s controversial theory of evolution between Thomas Huxley and the Bishop of Oxford in 1860. It also saw the first use of the word ‘scientist,’ in 1834. The origins of the Festival, previously known as the annual meeting, can be traced back to York, in 1831. Since then it has travelled the globe, including visits to Montreal and Australia.

Registration is free for journalists and gets you access to all the events. The Festival takes place at a different location each year. The 2019 Festival will take place from 10 – 13 September, hosted by the University of Warwick and sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover, Cadent and Lubrizol.

About Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover is the UK’s largest automotive manufacturer, built around two iconic British car brands: Land Rover, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium all-wheel-drive vehicles; and Jaguar, one of the world’s premier luxury sports saloon and sports car marques.

At Jaguar Land Rover, we are driven by a desire to deliver class-leading vehicles, which will provide experiences our customers will love, for life. Our products are in demand around the globe. In 2018 Jaguar Land Rover sold 592,708 vehicles in 128 countries.

We support around 260,000 people through our retailer network, suppliers and local businesses. At heart we are a British company, with two major design and engineering sites, three vehicle manufacturing facilities, an Engine Manufacturing Centre and soon to be opened Battery Assembly Centre. We also have vehicle plants in China, Brazil, India, Austria and Slovakia. We have seven technology hubs, in the UK these are based in Manchester, Warwick (NAIC) and London. Globally these are located in Shannon, Ireland, Portland, USA, Budapest, Hungary and Changshu, China.

We have a portfolio of electrified products across our model range, embracing fully electric, plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles as well as continuing to offer the latest diesel and petrol engines. From 2020 all new Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles will offer the option of electrification, giving our customers even more choice.

6 September 2019

For interviews or more information contact:

Peter Thorley
Media Relations Manager (Warwick Medical School and Department of Physics)

Email: peter.thorley@warwick.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0)24 761 50868

Mob: +44 (0) 7824 540863