The BLOODHOUND Landspeed car and team are to visit the Isle of Man Motor Museum in Jurby on Friday 22nd September to help promote careers in engineering and technology to students from the Island's five secondary schools, as part of the broader Awareness of Careers in Engineering project (ACE).
BLOODHOUND is a British project that aims to set a new land speed World Record with a car designed to attempt speeds of 1,000mph, with the first run of the car taking place next month in Cornwall. Local engineering firm Swagelok has designed and manufactured one of the components of the car and representatives of Swagelok will be on hand at the Friday session with the High Schools to help explain their role.
Students will also have the opportunity to spend time with Andy Green, the pilot, who will talk to them about the car, before students undertake hands on activities with the BLOODHOUND team building Rocket Cars and Balloon Cars.
The objectives of the ACE project are to help shape Isle of Man students’ perceptions of what careers in engineering, manufacturing and technology consist of and to make them more aware of what the Engineering and Manufacturing Sector on the Isle of Man comprises.
Lawrie Hooper MHK, Member of the Department of Economic Development with responsibility for manufacturing, commented:
'The visit of BLOODHOUND will undoubtedly fire up the interest of our students in careers in engineering, manufacturing and technology, and will be the highlight of the Isle of Man’s Awareness of Careers in Engineering programme this year.
The Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster supports ACE to ensure engineering and manufacturing is seen as a viable, rewarding and long term career in the Isle of Man and to help them understand the skills needed to be employed in the sector.
Within Europe, access to the right skills is currently the key issue within the precision manufacturing sector, so much of our sector’s future success depends on having accessibility to skilled engineers. Therefore, we need to develop a highly skilled local workforce to ensure its continued success.'
This exhibition will be open to the public on Saturday 23 September from 9am to 6pm for which the Isle of Man Motor Museum’s usual admission and concession fees apply.
The visit of BLOODHOUND is taking place with the support of the Isle of Man Post Office, The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, the Isle of Man Motor Museum, the Department of Economic Development, the Department of Education and Children and local Industry.
More information about BLOODHOUND can be found here: http://www.bloodhoundssc.com/
