Education
We are a key provider and coordinator of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education activities and support in Essex. These are for students at school and home, and are designed to both stimulate an interest in STEM and to open possible career paths.
» See upcoming CSES events for schools, children and families
Including our flagship annual TEXPO, projects and online competitions throughout the year.
Out-of-school clubs, masterclasses and projects to enhance learning with fun, practical activities.
Financial and in-kind support for your STEM Club, project or activity at school.
Interactive conferences attended by students, industry partners and the public sector.
A FREE annual CSES/ARU lecture from a high-profile speaker, open to all schools.
Careers guidance, STE(A)M activities, ideas and other material for all ages both in school and at home.
Take inspiration from what others have been getting up to.
Talk to us about dedicated support, resources, projects and competitions for your school.
Should I Consider Engineering?
Find out more about what life in an engineering related career is like - and why you might like to work in an engineering company yourself.
Engineering. Sounds pretty dull doesn't it? That is until you start working in engineering. I am now a graduate in electronic engineering, and below I'll try to tell you how I managed to get a job that lets me work on some pretty awesome military equipment (don't ask I can't you...), travel round the world and get paid a good amount of money for it!
I have been to two Engineering Our Future lectures hosted by CSES at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford. I feel that these have both been very worthwhile in informing the career path that I would like to choose due to the wide variety of topics covered by the courses. The presence of company exhibits allowed me to see what the companies actually do in a far more tangible way than through the abstract descriptions on their websites.
The lectures were both informative and interesting, highlighting the practical uses of the engineering that they use. The lecturers have all been very knowledgeable and have related to the audience well. To summarise, I would highly recommend these lectures for anyone who is looking to find out more about a career in Engineering.
These lectures provide a great insight to what technologies are up and coming as they are presented by the engineers who are working on such technologies. Many of these are at the cutting edge and provide an insight into what we will be engineering ten years into the future. As well as providing lectures the Engineering our Future events also welcome stands from local engineering companies to exhibit their current projects and also to provide information into how they got involved with engineering and how you could also become involved.
By James, Year 12
I have been fortunate enough to be able to attend two courses with the Smallpeice Trust. Each was an incredibly informative insight into the world of engineering, and they have together helped me in choosing my path through Sixth Form - guiding my options choices - and in cementing my desire to pursue a career in engineering. During these courses, I had opportunities to speak to many professional engineers, across varied disciplines of engineering, and was fortunate enough to be able to visit a Power Station, along with a Gas Turbine Station - both on a course sponsored by National Grid. These were fascinating experiences, visiting sites which would regularly not be open to the general public.
CSES Schools' Engineering and Technology Competition by Ollie, year 12 from KEGS
This competition is a great way to show off a science or engineering project that you have been working on. This could be Design and Technology coursework (for example I entered my year 11 electronics coursework), a project from a school club, or something you’ve been working on at home. There are many categories to suit all different kinds of work. During the day, you spend time explaining and demonstrating your project to the judges (usually various engineering professionals) as well as your fellow students at the event. You also get a chance to see what other people have done. This can be great if you are looking for inspiration for future projects, especially if you look at what students older than you have done. You can enter alone or as a team, and if you’re good enough, there are significant prizes to be won. If you think you have a relevant project, I would encourage you to enter.