Inverness pupils claim national STEM title

Pupils from Inverness showed their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills to win a national competition.

Six youngsters representing Charleston Academy were up against teams from Glasgow, Manchester, Somerset, County Durham and West Sussex at the event in Aberdeen.

The final of Global Underwater Hub’s STEM Challenge competition for 13 and 14-year-olds tested their STEM skills to design, build, programme and market a model ROV (remotely operated vehicle) using Lego Mindstorms – a platform enables the development of programmable mechanical robots using Lego bricks, modular sensors, motors and other Lego parts.

Organised by Global Underwater Hub, and run with the support of The Smallpeice Trust, the challenge is designed to provide a platform for pupils to apply their STEM knowledge and skills, and learn how they can be used in their future careers.

A panel of judges made up of individuals working in the underwater industry decided the winners.

It is the second consecutive year that a team from the Inverness has lifted the STEM Challenge trophy. In last year’s competition, pupils from Culloden Academy were triumphant in the national final.

Neil Gordon, chief executive of Global Underwater Hub, said: “Our STEM Challenge competition provides a platform for us to engage with school pupils across the UK, offering insight into the underwater industry and an opportunity for them to apply and develop their STEM skills.

“All of the pupils did an excellent job to reach the national final, with the trip to Aberdeen giving them a chance to see up close some of the technology and equipment that is used in the underwater industry. The work put in by all six teams at the final was incredible, with the Charleston Academy team just edging it in what was a close competition.

“The industries that make up the underwater sector, whether that is oil and gas, renewable energies, defence, aquaculture, marine science or telecoms, offer a huge range of career prospects, with many requiring STEM-based knowledge. As industry continues to digitise and technology evolves, skills such as coding, which all of the finalists had in abundance, will play an increasingly crucial role in workplaces."

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