Students from University Technical Colleges (UTC) affiliated to the Royal Navy were given the opportunity to learn more about engineering with the Royal Navy when they visited HMS Sultan and HMS Collingwood recently.
2018 is the ‘Year of Engineering’ a cross-government campaign, aimed at encouraging young people into engineering and the students, aged 14-19, from UTCs across the country, spent the week long visit living on board the Type 82 Training Ship HMS Bristol, based in Portsmouth.
During the week they visited HMS Collingwood, the home of Royal Navy Weapon Engineering, HMS Sultan, the home of Marine and Air Engineering, visited an operational Warship and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
During their visit to HMS Collingwood the students received an overarching brief on Weapon Engineering and the career options available.
They also witnessed demonstrations and received briefings on the Phalanx, 4.5” Gun and Automated Small Calibre Gun (ASCG) which is fitted to Type 23 frigates and used primarily to defend against fast inshore attack craft.
Student Dan Poole, 14, from Birmingham, is currently studying at Aston UTC. Talking of the visit he said: “It’s been really good so far. I’m interested in engineering and joining the Navy so this is really good.
“We’re staying on HMS Bristol too which is really cool.”
The visit to HMS Sultan was packed full of hands-on Air and Marine Engineering activities including learning aircraft maintenance skills, about survival equipment and how to maintain a diesel engine.
Student Lucy Robinson, 14, who was also from Aston UTC said: “It’s been brilliant, we’ve been given a lot of really challenging things to do, like pulling an engine apart.
“I think we’re being given lots of opportunities to see different types of engineering and what’s out there and this has really made me rethink what I want to do in the long run.”
