Engineers Making a Difference: Inventors, Technicians, Scientists and Tech Entrepreneurs Changing the World, and How You Can Join Them

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An AMRC engineer features in a new book that will be sent to every secondary school in the UK to inspire and excite young people about careers in engineering.

There were some amazing innovations here, such as transforming carbon dioxide into clothing and using chicken feathers to create packaging, and it is always great to read books for children which focus on climate solutions rather than just the climate crisis. This includes hearing how apprenticeships have made a difference to some of the engineers, going inside the Joint European Torus in Oxford to discover the secrets of fusion energy and listening to how Earthshot Prize-winner Pierre Paslier is making the world more sustainable through their innovative biodegradable food packaging. Doing things differently should be encouraged in manufacturing, which is why we need more young people to join the industry.

Dr Somara acknowledges that not everyone has an engineering family member or hero to aspire to, but hopes that people like Beth, along with the other 45 incredible and diverse individuals in the book may do just that by showing the real difference they are making in the world.

Another feature of note: the double page spreads that close chapters, going into depth on a particular technology relevant to the chapter theme and offering a future focus for the reader to further pique interest – lab-grown meat, drones, and nuclear energy are a few of the areas covered. The kits for Engineers Making a Difference – comprising two copies of the book, 12 posters, a 4m-long timeline wall chart and a Teacher’s Guide – are in schools now.Teachers might also want to share specific interviews with their classes in relation to STEM or careers: the interviews are full of positive messages about persevering, learning from mistakes and following your dreams.

Two years in the making, the book and its associated resources are now published, with school kits heading to every state secondary school in the UK.A school kit will be sent free of charge to every secondary school in the UK in Spring 2023, comprising of two copies of the print book (one for classroom use and one for the school’s library), an educator’s guide which aligns with the national curriculum, a laminated timeline for classrooms, illustrating engineering feats that have shaped the world over time and 12 posters for use in the classroom, showing fun topics about each chapter in the book. This book will be of particular interest to children who already have an interest in pursuing STEM careers as it shows the variety of areas in which they could work and the pathways they could follow to get there. In this book, Dr Shini Somara shares her own passion for engineering and interviews 46 engineers from around the world working in fields ranging from healthcare to entertainment to space exploration. From audiences of curious schoolchildren to enthusiastic science teachers and concerned parents, I have experimented with different methods of communication and kept a keen eye on what others like me were doing.