Diploma for 14 to 19-year-olds
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17th Mar 2010
Diploma students on the starting grid
A competition which has enabled thousands of budding racing car engineers from around the globe see their designs brought to life is being mapped to a new work-relevant qualification.
F1 in Schools is an exciting and challenging educational experience which draws on the worldwide 
popularity of Formula One motor racing. It is a multi-disciplinary challenge in which teams of students aged nine to 19 use Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM) software to design, test, build and race miniature gas-powered balsa wood F1 cars.
popularity of Formula One motor racing. It is a multi-disciplinary challenge in which teams of students aged nine to 19 use Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM) software to design, test, build and race miniature gas-powered balsa wood F1 cars.The F1 in Schools Challenge can now be undertaken as part of the Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design (MPD), a qualification for 14-19 year-olds which launched in schools and colleges around England last September. The Diploma in MPD allows students to work directly with employers and develop skills and knowledge relevant to all aspects of the manufacturing sector, including engineering, science and technology, product design and business and enterprise.
The competition is the brainchild of Andrew Denford, a mechanical engineer, chairman of F1 in Schools and chief executive of Brighouse-based machine tool manufacturer Denford Ltd. He sees the competition as a way to raise the profile of engineering and manufacturing in education and inspire students to consider a career in the industry.
“The F1 in Schools Challenge fits perfectly with the Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design,” said Andrew. “It enables students to use IT to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacturing, graphics, marketing and financial strategy and apply them in a practical, imaginative, competitive and exciting way. The aim is to nurture an interest in science, technology, engineering and maths and develop their skills while offering them a challenging learning experience.
“Many young people who have successfully completed the challenge have gained direction as well as skills, and have gone on to achieve satisfying careers in related sectors. One good example is Steve Walker who took part in the challenge while at school and now works as a graduate engineer for Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines, which supply engines to the Formula One teams.”
The challenge was launched in 1999 and has grown into an international competition, operating in more than 30 countries and has attracted involvement from more than 15 million students. Teams compete regionally to win a place at their national final and can progress to the world championships to try to win the coveted Bernie Ecclestone World Championship Trophy.
Andrew, who has formed key partnerships with all the Formula One teams and the Department for Children, Schools and Families, added: “F1 in Schools is rapidly realising its potential of becoming a truly global education programme that raises awareness of Formula One and STEM learning among students and school children in every region, in every country, on every continent.”
Andrew joined his father’s company Denford Machine Tools Ltd in 1979 and is now chief executive. He is a national employer champion for the Diploma in MPD along with the company’s managing director Simon Moorhouse. The pair work actively to encourage colleagues in the manufacturing sector to get involved with the Diploma in MPD.
The Diploma in MPD sits alongside GCSEs and A-Levels and will be available in 54 areas around England from September. It is delivered by partnerships, of local schools, colleges and employers, enabling students to divide their time between the classroom, college, and the workplace. Employers can get involved by mentoring students, setting projects, hosting site visits and offering work placements.
Norwich was one of the first areas to implement the Diploma in MPD and students from three of the city’s schools, Notre Dame High, The Hewett and Wayland Community High, took part in the F1 in Schools Technology Challenge last year. Team Pluto beat off tough competition to win the Best Rookie Team category during a London and south-east regional heat held at the headquarters of the Williams F1 team in Oxfordshire. As part of the project, the teenagers spent time at Norfolk County Council’s Hethel Engineering Centre to work on their designs.
Ends
For more information, visit the website for the Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design, at http://www.manufacturingdiploma.co.uk/.
Issued on behalf of the Manufacturing Diploma Development Partnership, by Nexnet PR, Leeds, www.nexnet.co.uk. For further information call Nexnet on 0113 247 0029 or email paul.newham@nexnet.co.uk, joanne.mead@nexnet.co.uk or sophie.mccandlish@nexnet.co.uk.
