Exception EMS Brings Electronics Engineering to Girls School

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

UK-based contract electronics manufacturing solutions provider Exception EMS and STEM ambassador have been working with a group of six female students from St Mary's Calne as part of the EDT's Engineering Education Scheme (EES), which links Year 12 or S5/S6 students and their teacher with local businesses to work on real, scientific, engineering and technological problems.

Providing students with an in-depth experience in science, engineering and technology, the aim of the program is to help students make more informed decisions about their future studies and career. Since October last year, Exception EMS has worked with the students who have taken on a long term project to design a universal fixture for the company's Cirrus continuity tester, a piece of equipment used in the testing of PCB assemblies within the factory.

Simon Berry, test development leader at Exception EMS, said, "I have worked closely with the six students over the last few months, they have visited our site regularly and have had valuable hands-on experience in the development of an engineering based solution to a particular equipment based issue. As we continue to see a decline in the number of young people entering the industry, it's imperative that organisations like ours engage with students to offer them real insights into what can be an interesting and prosperous career in the STEM industries. We need to continue to inspire the next generation of bright, young engineers and our work with the EES programme is essential to achieving that."

On July 1, the project team from St Mary’s Calne attended a Celebration and Assessment Day run by the EES at Rolls Royce in Bristol – they gave a presentation on their project to independent engineers, as well as other industry professionals who attended and received assessments on the outcomes.

Alexandra Ballard, Head of Science at St Mary's Calne, feels the experience has been hugely valuable to her students. "We have limited engineering facilities at this time, so this project has given our students the opportunity to carry out practical work and use equipment that they may not otherwise have encountered," she notes. "In essence, they have gained valuable insights into project planning, communication and organisational techniques as well as practical engineering skills across the length of this project, which will be essential for their working lives."

About Exception EMS

The company is headquartered in Calne in the UK. It has been on a continuous path of investment to satisfy the needs of the worldwide electronics industry. The CEM business, both in the UK and via its international partners has an electronics manufacturing heritage stretching back over 60 years. Exception EMS serves customers across a variety of sectors including aerospace and defence, transport, oil and gas, automotive, communication architecture, medical, marine, semiconductor, and renewable energy.