Schools Engineering Contest

The event was ‘engineered’ by Jackson Civil Engineering and this was the 12th consecutive year that the Suffolk company has engaged with youngsters by staging the contest.

All participants were set real life projects that Jackson Civil Engineering has been involved within.

The learners then worked in teams and came up with solutions to the problems that had been set.

This year, the groups considered issues such as replacing bearings on the Orwell bridge, constructing sea defences for the Suffolk coastline and replacing a damaged railway bridge.

The schools students then presented their ideas and were judged by people working in industry.

Kesgrave High School scooped top honours this year because of ‘their outstanding team work and initiative’ according to judge, and Jackson Civil Engineering’s Chief Executive, Richard Neall.

He added, “The ingenuity of Suffolk’s students never ceases to astound me. Each year the quality of their engineering solutions and their presentations seems to improve. This annual event not only provides the students with an opportunity to grapple with real engineering problems, it also provides us with the chance to show them what a challenging and rewarding career there can be in civil engineering.”

“We know that the event is a success because some previous participants are now valued employees at Jackson Civil Engineering.”

Paul Williamson - Director of Construction at Otley College - added, “Otley has been the host of this excellent competition for a few years now.

“We are delighted to be involved in an event that is successful because it is engaging, fun and most of all, educational.”