Aspiring engineers get hands-on experience at Malaspina

High school students will have a chance to explore the world of engineering at two upcoming engineering fairs at Malaspina University-College on Dec. 5 and 18.

“The goal of an engineering fair is to provide a forum through which high school students can interact directly with local engineering firms and participate in a design competition activity,” said Brian Dick, a professor in the Engineering department at Malaspina. “The feedback we got from last year’s event was incredibly positive.”

Students will receive a hands-on approach to engineering at the fairs, with local engineers (from Malaspina and Herold Engineering) at their disposal to answer questions and give them guidance, as well as a team competition where students design and build a siege engine (trebuchet) and try to accurately and consistently hit a target. Winning teams will receive a plaque to take home and also have their names on a permanent plaque in a display case within Malaspina’s Engineering department.

“The engineering day at Malaspina College/University was very enlightening because we got to participate and interact with the demonstrations and talk face to face with the engineers about what they do,” said Kevin Boorer, a student at Qualicum Secondary who attended the fair in May. “It gave me great insight into the different fields of engineering, which will help me make a more educated post-secondary decision.”

“The demand for engineers and scientists in both industry and government research agencies continues to increase while the enrolment in critical subjects like physics and chemistry has been steadily declining,” said Dick. “Students are often not familiar with an engineer’s responsibilities or the field in which he or she may practice. Basically, the engineering fairs give students the opportunity to discover where their interests might lie in this growing and exciting career path.”

Dick expects 50 students from Dover Bay to attend on Dec. 5, with another 50 from Qualicum Secondary and Woodlands on Dec. 18. Currently, individual classes are being invited to Malaspina to attend the fair on these dates.

“Unfortunately, space limits the number of students we can handle at any given time,” said Dick. “We do encourage interested students or parents to contact us if they are interested in the engineering fairs or the Engineering transfer program at Malaspina. We also welcome local engineering firms who wish to be involved in this event to call us too.”

For further information on this event, check out Malaspina’s Engineering program website at www.viu.ca/engineering. To contact the Engineering Advisor, please call 753-3245 (local 2435) or email dickb@viu.ca.