Wallace Hall Academy and Gates Engineering

in Dumfries have been working together to provide pupils with challenges to solve real-life business issues. Engineers at Gates identified a specific issue in their production process which could be improved. After visiting the site so that the problem could be demonstrated, the 12 Wallace Hall Physics pupils were split into 3 teams and set the challenge of finding innovative solutions. The project concluded with presentations from the teams where they discussed their methodology, research and final proposals.

To incorporate a competitive element, the teams were scored according to their teamwork, innovation and presentations. The 3 teams presented a range of feasible solutions which the Gates Engineers will be considering in terms of implementation. However, there was a winning team: Greig, Emily, Harris and Declan.

Grahame Arrowsmith, Principal Teacher for Business and IT said “the idea of this pilot project has been to provide pupils with a quality business experience which stretched their thinking, whilst at the same time delivering a worthwhile output for the business. Hopefully, we have achieved these two aims. We shall be looking to extend this model with employers in other areas of business during 2018/19”.