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Aker Solutions puts pupils in the driving seat

Aberdeen school pupils are to take part in an exciting eco-car construction challenge after a donation from Aker Solutions helps put them on the road to success.

The Aberdeen business of the global engineering and construction services firm has handed over £930 to help steer pupils at Bucksburn Academy to victory in the Institution

of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Greenpower event which sees young people design, build and race their own cars in a drive to promote an interest in science and engineering.

This is the fourth year that Aker Solutions has been involved with the event, which runs from January to June and is open to anyone aged between nine and 25 who is in full or part

time education.

Split into three age brackets, pupils from Bucksburn Academy are taking part in the Formula 24 category of the event which requires the team to build an endurance ready electric

car using a 24 volt electric motor and a set of batteries.

The donation from Aker will be used to purchase aluminum sheets, new brakes, gears and electrical components in a bid to improve the mechanics of the car.

The competition will see the pupils take to the tracks in the Scottish regional heat in Alford later this summer to compete with schools from across the country in a four hour

endurance race. The winning teams will then get the chance to compete in the National final which takes place in October.

Aker Solutions’ mechanical engineer Craig Seifert who is helping the team said: “It is fantastic to be involved in a project that is not only designed to captivate young people’s

interest in engineering, but also demonstrates the importance of electric power and how it can be used to improve the energy issues that we all face.

“The teams experience a wide range of challenges during the competition which provides them with a valuable set of skills and encourages creativity and enthusiasm.”

Bucksburn Academy’s head teacher Kas Mohamed said: “The success of this partnership is due to the positive impact it has on an increasing number of our pupils. The skills that

the pupils develop are at the heart of Curriculum for Excellence and will hopefully lead to a continuing interest in engineering as a possible career path.”

Aker Solutions is a leading global provider of engineering and construction services to the process and energy industries. One of the largest employers in the north-east, around

2,000 people are based across the organisation’s operations in Aberdeen.

The company has a working partnership with Bucksburn Academy which aims to break down the barriers between business and education through engineering, environment and learning

initiatives. Aker Solutions has worked on a series of projects with pupils, including a woodland clean-up and the creation of an outdoor classroom and will host a visit from pupils on

March 24th to support a new business start-up project.

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