Cheadle Hulme High School’s Head of Engineering, Mrs James, has been featured in the Design & Technology Association‘s DT Practice magazine, where she reflects on the success of her recent Quiz an Engineer! event. The evening was designed to inspire students and help families explore the exciting and varied opportunities available in engineering careers.
Held at CHHS earlier this year, Quiz an Engineer! was aimed at Year 9 and Year 11 students, along with their parents and carers.
It offered a rare opportunity to hear directly from 10 professional engineers, including four former CHHS students, who shared their experiences and answered questions from the audience. The panel discussion was followed by informal networking, making for a lively and engaging evening attended by over 200 people.
The panel featured engineers at various stages of their careers, representing a wide range of backgrounds and specialisms.
Their honest and open responses helped demystify the profession and encouraged students to see themselves in similar roles.
Mrs James explained:
“Hearing from relatable young adults who are thriving in their own design and engineering careers is essential for breaking down barriers and inspiring young people to see themselves in these roles. You can’t be what you can’t see. Representation is key.”
The feedback from students and families was overwhelmingly positive. A Year 9 student said, “It was amazing! I definitely want to be an engineer now.” Some parents even left the event considering a career change of their own!
The feature in DT Practice is a testament to the impact of the evening and to Mrs James’s ongoing commitment to promoting engineering and technology education.
We’d like to say a big thank you to Mrs James, as well as all the staff and volunteers who helped make the event possible. A huge thank you also goes to the students and parents/carers who came along and got involved – it was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm and we can’t wait to see where it leads to next!