Local school children learning from A96 Dualling East of Huntly to Aberdeen team

Around 90 pupils from local primary schools attended an event on Wednesday 16 May at Stewarts Hall in Huntly to celebrate the success of Transport Scotland’s schools engagement programme on the A96 Dualling East of Huntly to Aberdeen scheme.

The event let local school children present their projects to a judging panel from Transport Scotland’s design consultancy AmeyArup. Prizes were awarded to the winning teams in different categories.

The Scottish Government is investing in and committed to ensuring Scotland has a highly educated and skilled population equipped with the Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills, knowledge and capability required to adapt and thrive in a fast-paced changing world and economy.

As part of this commitment the A96 Dualling schools engagement programme has seen a number of teachers from local schools being trained in the necessary skills to enthuse and inspire children to enter or take an interest in the professions associated with the delivery of the A96 Dualling.  The programme involves a series of progressive and linked exercises increasing in complexity depending on the pupils’ ages and skill levels with the emphasis on engineering, linked to real engineers and engineering projects.

Keith Brown Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work said:

“Our ambitious A96 Dualling programme will upgrade the road between the cities of Inverness and Aberdeen to dual carriageway. However as we design and build this important new road, it is important that we bring benefits to the communities who live along it.

“Our schools engagement is an important part of that work and it is fitting in the Year of Young People that we are leaving a legacy for the future. By training teachers to deliver a programme for pupils in local schools we are helping them develop an interest in engineering.

“The fact that engineers from Transport Scotland and the consultants designing the dualled route between East of Huntly and Aberdeen are taking the time to offer their expertise will help inspire the children to consider being the engineers of the future.”

Lise McCaffery, Regional Director for Primary Engineer, expressed her delight with the project outcomes.

“Primary Engineer is an organisation working to promote engineering skills and careers with young people across Scotland. We are delighted to have partnered with Transport Scotland to deliver our programmes with teachers and pupils in Aberdeenshire for the first time and their enjoyment in the projects are evident here today.”