Aberdeen charity TechFest has revealed the winning team of its ‘STEM in the Pipeline’ competition, which was created to ignite interest in STEM and offer local pupils hands-on experience in the energy sector.
The three-month-long project was undertaken by 16 teams of secondary school students from across Aberdeen city and Aberdeenshire. The initiative sought to equip the 93 participating students with knowledge and prospects in STEM fields and exposure to different roles across the energy industry.
STEM in the Pipeline kicked off in September with an exciting introduction day, packed with lectures and hands-on workshops for pupils on the essential scientific principles needed to complete the project.
An Aberdeenshire student who attended the introduction day said: “I didn't know much about the energy sector however after today I have learnt a lot.”
The S6 students participating in STEM in the Pipeline were introduced to industry experts from a number of international energy organisations who provided mentoring and guidance to them throughout the competition.
STEM in the Pipeline has been delivered in collaboration with various partners including Apache, bp, CNOOC International, Harbour Energy, NSTA and SPE Aberdeen, who contributed towards the initiative by providing mentors and sponsorship for the charity TechFest.
In the first phase, the students had the opportunity to dive into the world of geology and geophysics, analysing seismic data to identify rock types, map subsurface structures, and assess the potential for oil and gas discovery.
By the end of this phase, students crafted bold plans for drilling, extraction, processing, and marketing of the resources.
Another Aberdeenshire student who participated in STEM in the Pipeline added: “I was very interested about how I could apply the raw geoscience information I learnt into the project.”
Throughout the project, students were provided with a unique opportunity to showcase their project management skills while exploring physics, engineering, and financial challenges encountered by the energy industry.
Students submitted their Field Development Plan in November for review by assessors ahead of a long-awaited presentation day in December.
The presentation day, held at bp, wrapped up the challenge, where students pitched their development plans and set out to impress the assessors on why their plan was the winning solution. Teams were judged on calculation accuracy, feasibility, financial viability, and environmental impact.
Martha Gavan, deputy managing director of TechFest, said: “As the energy industry evolves, it is facing huge employment challenges over the next decade due to young people not choosing STEM as a career pathway.
“STEM in the Pipeline is a project created with this in mind to make STEM education more engaging and inclusive in schools throughout North-east Scotland.
“We have had great feedback from students who participated in the project that have been inspired to actively pursue a career in STEM and now have the industry connections through our mentors to realistically achieve this goal.”
Students were encouraged to stay connected with their industry mentors throughout the journey, keeping them in the loop at every milestone to ensure they stay on track.
Participating pupils were given the opportunity to visit their mentor’s workplace; an excellent chance to network with industry professionals and boost their confidence.
The winning team of STEM in the Pipeline 2024 was from St Margaret’s School for Girls, and they presented their Field Development Plan at an event held in bp’s North Sea headquarters in Dyce.
Second place was awarded to the team from St Machar Academy, and the prize for the most Innovative plan was won by the team from Inverurie Academy.
Head of St Margaret's School for Girls, Miss Anna Tomlinson, said: "Over the course of the term, the team demonstrated outstanding teamwork and perseverance.
“This competition continues to be a highlight for our school, encouraging students to embrace innovation, develop practical skills, and spark excitement about careers in STEM fields.
“We are incredibly proud of our team’s achievement and look forward to their continued success in the future."
A student from the winning team from St Maragaret’s School for Girls added: “Honestly an amazing experience, we all worked really hard and we’re ecstatic we won.”