Commonly denominating

150 school students will take part in the Great Engineering Challenge at the University of New South Wales during Engineering Week.

Engineering doesn't get much publicity as a profession. It doesn't have the benefit of being one of todays buzz university degrees and as a result Australia is facing an impending skills shortage. With less and less students studying maths and science at high school, there is a reduction in the eligibility of students to study science and engineering at university.

In the hope of rectifying this shortage and with National Engineering Week — August 13 to 21 — fast approaching, Sydney has gone engineering mad. On July 20 at Macquarie University teams of Year 10 students from six schools in Sydney's north-west region competed in the Science and Engineering Challenge.

And during Engineering Week 150 school students will take part in another engineering event, the Great Engineering Challenge (GEC) at the University of New South Wales.

The Science and Engineering Challenge is an initiative presented by the University of Newcastle and supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Education, Science and Training and has been applauded by Education Minister Brendan Nelson for having rekindled the interest of young people in the sciences.

The Science and Engineering Challenge has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 2000 when 14 schools from the NSW Hunter Region participated (now more than 300 schools compete). 2005 saw the debut from schools in the Sydney area.

Albert Einstein once said, "The more success the quantum theory has, the sillier it looks." So it was at Macquarie University when scientific theory was successfully proved in a series of tasks that saw catapults and bridges being built from materials found in any school's art department.

Tasks of this kind may appear "silly" to some but all participants involved in the day's events demonstrated rational thought in a way that was far from silly or foolish. The friendly competition has proved successful in the way in which a set of fun and practical hands-on activities has helped to teach school students about the important role science and technology play in contemporary society.

"Engineering improves peoples lives," says member of the National Engineering Week Committee Andrew Pratley.

"It's great to see how much the kids get into it," said Melanie d'Arbon from Newcastle University's Engineering Department who presented the event and watched the students' determination to succeed in their set tasks. "Walking around to see how each team was doing, some kids almost seemed really grumpy to be interrupted."

The winning trophy for the Sydney North West Science and Engineering Challenge was awarded to James Ruse Agricultural High School, who will go on to compete in the Grand Challenge held at Newcastle University.

"With an impending skills shortage in engineering, there has never been a more crucial time to promote the profession as not only vital, but also exciting and rewarding as a career path for students", says President of Engineers Australia Sydney Division Norm Himsley.

Killara High School and Pymble Ladies College are two local schools taking part in the GEC on August 18.

Physics Coordinator at Killara High School Ann Dixon says that while she is aware decreasing numbers of Australian high school students are taking maths and science at senior levels, "At Killara our own personal experience is not typical of the broader trend. We have a very strong science section. At Killara we have more students wanting to take part in the GEC than is possible."

Dixon says she thinks the reason engineering isn't a more popular career choice for students is that it is "not a financially rewarding career. When you're talking about the North Shore you're looking at kids who are coming from a high socio-economic background, so for many of them business is a preferred career option. But I think if you checked out the destination point of Killara students, a large amount go into engineering because they realise that's where their talents lie and that's how they can contribute to society."

The tasks set for students taking part in the Great Engineering Challenge provide a glimpse into the world of engineering and the vast array of areas that engineers work in, in both a preventative role and a more traditional diaster relief role.

The 2005 challenges are set against the backdrop of a disaster relief situation. The first task requires students to design and construct the roof of a house to withstand the impact of the largest tree on the island falling onto the roof. The second task requires students to develop a method to remove a part of a fallen wall so as to allow for the rescue of the people trapped inside a collapsed building.

Dixon says she is such a fan of the GEC because, "It makes students think laterally, it's a practical application of physics and It makes scientific concepts fun."

As a result of these challenges, students are realising that science is about more than diagrams, Bunsen burners and tripods and are coming to understand that applying reason to the workings of the universe can actually be enjoyable.

Judging by the interest shown in the Science and Engineering Challenge and the Great Engineering Challenge, it is fair to say that many young Einsteins lie within our midst, concocting the next groundbreaking scientific discovery armed with goggles, Bunsen burners and art materials.

If Australia is to rectify its engineering skills shortage, there couldn't be a better way to go about it.