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The talent of the future!
On Thursday 15th November, I had the pleasure of accompanying Mr Lam and a small group of Mosslands best Year 8 STEM students to the Liverpool’s Arena and Convention Centre, where the students would be introduced to the world of manufacturing via Smart factory Expo – Digital Manufacturing Week.
Right from the off, the students were greeted by a brand new Aston Martin, valued at £150,000, and the assurance that any one of them may one day be driving such a car if they set their sights high and keep working hard!
Over 150 exhibitors could be found at the Expo and its seemed the challenge for our students was to visit them all. Our students had the freedom of the convention centre and were allowed to walk around all the exhibitors, where they were given fascinating insights into manufacturing plus a whole range of freebies from donuts to 3D printed sweets and from pens with their names on to USB sticks. The employees of these companies took a great interest in the students, and one exclaimed "they are the talent of the future!" The boys were given the opportunity to ask questions and use the interactive exhibits, while being introduced to the world of Industry. At the end of the day, the boys left with a full bag of freebies each and the inspiration of pursuing a job in the diverse and dynamic arena that is manufacturing.
Alfie, a year 8 student wrote…
On November 15th 2018 I journeyed to the Smart Factory Expo in Liverpool. We went there to learn about Manufacturing, STEM and life skills. It was an amazing day full of wonderful, exciting surprises. Also, a lot of responsibility would be given to me as the day progressed. It, would take courage, curiosity and eagerness to carry out these tasks but I knew I would be able to accomplish it.
After lunch we entered the huge, magnificent building. The towering ceilings made the building extremely spacious and sent an anxious feeling down my spine. As we advanced forward two brilliantly and intricately designed cars stood in front of me. Outstandingly, one was the fastest four-seater car in the world! It had beautiful leather stitched all the way through the interior of the jet-black car. The heated seats inside were adjustable and fitted to your preferred position. After what felt like hours of gazing at the unbelievable car, we advanced onwards to the convention centre. The sight was phenomenal; rows upon rows of glorious displays, that showed off the product and company. Well-dressed business men and woman waited patiently to answer questions that anybody asked. The loud chatter of the people echoed across the never-ending hall and eventually bounced off the glossy walls and back to them.
After many spellbound minutes I began to venture deeper into the hall to learn and try any products that came my way. I went to find the brilliantly programmed robot that was there last year and sure enough it was there again. Oddly enough though it was serving a different purpose... It was 3D printing sweets! They were honestly divine and extremely interesting. It was gelatine free sweets so vegans could eat them. Also, it came in many different flavours Strawberry, Tropical, Lemon and Apple. I watched the process of it being made and it was amazing. The technology used is so efficient and clever.
Later on in the day, we came by a man with a huge microscope and as instructed by Mr. Lam we interviewed the man on what it was, what it was used for and what is different to all the others. We learnt that car manufacturers used this to create and inspect car parts. Companies like Toyota, KIA and Peugeot bought their product for that reason. Surprisingly, he taught me how to use this and I used it to look at many things up close. For example, our uniform, our hands and fingers, and our shoes. All the minute dust and dirt that were stuck to these things was extraordinary.
As the day continued, I was constantly being made speechless at the bewildering stations and the generosity of everyone there. Towards the end of the day we discovered a juice making machine which poured out any mix of drinks you asked for. As the beautiful colours poured delicately down into the cup and blended together. It formed a mesmerising drink that I would treasure for a long time. It was a mix of cherry, apple, mango and water. The company was based in Germany and were very successful.
An extremely special thank you to everybody involved in the Smart Factory Expo 2018. It was one of the best and most fun experiences of my life and would love to do it again!