Every year, HSDC’s South Downs campus hosts its Engineering Project Day. This is an opportunity for students to showcase their engineering projects to a wider audience including industry professionals, fellow students and HSDC staff.
These students study a variety of engineering-related courses including T Levels, Apprenticeships and Higher Education courses. These Higher Education courses include the Engineering Higher National Diploma (HND) and Higher National Certificate (HNC), both of which are designed to give students the knowledge and skills to succeed in the modern workplace.
Designs for a 3D printed F-14 Tomcat.
All of the engineering courses on offer at HSDC prioritise links with local and national businesses to ensure that learners are ready to join the workforce. Business leaders joined students at Engineering Project Day, highlighting South Downs’ strong links with the industry.
The showcase was a win-win for the students involved, as they were able to not only celebrate months of hard work, but were also given the chance to network from experts across the engineering industry.
The event was held in South Downs’ South Coast Institute of Technology (IoT) facility. The IoT, which was made possible with £2.6m of government funding, provides a sector-leading technical environment for the engineering students to get to grips with industry-standard technology, providing them with experiences they can take with them into a range of STEM occupations.
Mike Gaston, Principal and CEO of HSDC provided some opening remarks, saying:
“Today is both a test and a celebration of the ingenuity and resilience of our engineering students. It is a chance for employers to engage with the engineers of tomorrow, nourishing their skills and development, ensuring that HSDC remains a true powerhouse of technical excellence.”
HNC student Bradley Corbould designed an electric bike charger that was entirely solar-powered.
T Level students were given a brief to create something related to everyday life, leading to projects being displayed including 3D printed chess pieces, lightsaber hilts, a custom-made workbench and a phone holder for a car. These students also produced working miniature cranes as part of their occupational specialism projects.
Adam Tier is studying a T Level in Engineering and Development, and 3D printed a replica wing for an F-14 Tomcat. Speaking about his course, Adam said:
“Doing a T Level means that I have been able to develop in-depth knowledge and skills through industry-standard experiences. The lecturers are so helpful and very friendly, meaning you feel supported throughout the course.”
T Level student Adam Tier with his 3D printed designs.
Owen Brooks is another T Level student, and was able to apply his personal hobbies to his course:
“I go fishing very regularly, so I decided that my personal project would be a fishing reel! It works really well and I loved being able to blend my passions with my course. It’s been amazing to see other people’s projects and displays”
Level 4 students were tasked with creating a project with the goal of environmental sustainability in mind. This reflects HSDC’s strong commitment to the environment, as well as the College’s desire to give its students employability skills for a workplace that is becoming more eco-conscious by the day.
Ollie Whelan is currency undertaking a Higher National Diploma in Electromechanical Engineering, and spoke about his project:
“My project is a remote-controlled catamaran that can detect and collect plastics in a canal system. I think Engineering Project Day is a fantastic opportunity for me to not only showcase my skills, but also share my passion for what I have created.”
Ollie Whelan designed a remote-controlled catamaran to detect and collect plastic waste from canals.
Petra Gawlasova’s project sought to optimise the level of monomers in contact lenses, in order to reduce waste. She found that a reduction of 10% was possible whilst maintaining the quality of the lenses. Speaking about the importance of Engineering Project Day, Petra said:
“It’s been great for us to be able to meet employers. It really breaks down barriers of stress and nervousness, particularly for those not on a Higher Education course.”
Petra Gawlasova with her contact lens project.
Matt Johnson, Director of the Institute of Technology, was full of praise for the projects on display:
“South Downs’ Engineering Project Day is the highlight of the academic year for me. It’s a chance for education and industry to truly meet, and fosters confidence, collaboration and creativity among students. The diversity of students and the projects on display has been truly inspiring to watch, they should all be incredibly proud of their achievements.”
Everyone in attendance was incredibly impressed with the projects on display, and the professionalism of the engineering students.
If you are interested in studying an engineering course at HSDC, click here: https://www.hsdc.ac.uk/course-finder/?keyword=&campus=-1&study_type=&interest=1097