A QE Engineering team showed off their acclaimed design for a hi-tech hard hat to politicians, policy-makers and industry representatives at a special event at the House of Commons.
The four Sixth-Formers took the Sonus-mico Helmet – a special hat that warns construction workers when noise levels exceed safe levels – to the Big Bang @ Parliament event, where they joined nine other finalists in The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Competition.
The helmet was developed under the Engineering Education Scheme by Yazid Sukhia, Tochi Onoura, Christopher Suen and Sachin Ghelani (pictured below, left to right).
Technology teacher Shane Ryan said: “They confidently and articulately explained their project to the MPs and VIPs. Well done to all four of them!”
The Big Bang @ Parliament was held as part of Tomorrow’s Engineers Week, a collaboration between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the engineering community. The competition entrants were invited to Westminster by MP Stephen Metcalfe on behalf of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee – a 77-year-old organisation bringing together scientists, science-based industry, the academic world and politicians – which he chairs. He is also Chair of the Science and Technology Parliamentary Select Committee.
Guest speakers included: Mr Metcalfe; Paul Jackson, CEO of EngineeringUK (a not-for-profit organisation promoting the role of engineers) and Sara Sobka, Young Scientist of the Year 2015.
The competition’s finals will take place at The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair, which is being held at the NEC in Birmingham from 15–18 March 2017.