16th January 2024
Students across all age groups had their interest in technology stimulated during the ABB Technology Day held at South Devon College.
The event was set up as an industry experience day, to support student learning and career progression and to give them a hands-on opportunity to review different areas of engineering whilst receiving advice and knowledge from industry experts.
The 300 students and apprentices, from South Devon High School, South Devon College and the University Centre South Devon, were guided through various engineering specialities by area staff from ABB, a technology leader in electrification and automation.
The students, who are studying Technology (Engineering, Electrical, Automotive, and Digital), experienced an exhibition-style event, held in the £17million Hi-Tech and Digital Centre at South Devon College and delivered by ABB, where they had the chance to visit different work areas concentrating on Instruments/Flow; Drives; Motors; Robotics; Automation and Electrification.
From left to right: Student Cain Ryder; Carl Eely, ABB; Rob Smith, Lecturer in Hi-Tech Electronics Engineering at South Devon College; and student Luca Mitchel
There were also bespoke guest talks in the Screening Suite – Paul Garner, Accounts Manager, Education & Collaborative Robots at ABB, gave a talk to 90 Technology and Electrical students on Robotics, and Sekhar Chakraborty, ABB’s Marketing Development Manager (Digital) presented a seminar around Electrical Engineering.
Carl Eely, Product Manager PLC – UK & IE, spoke on Sustainability and its importance and relevance in industry sectors.
From left to right from ABB: Michael Roebuck, Digital Solutions; Martin Young, Motors; Paul Garner, Robotics; Liam Blackshaw, Drives; Richard Gray, Drives; Andrew Griffin, Instrumentation; Jineesh Gaur, Robotics; Carl Eely, Automation; and Sekhar Chakraborty, Electrification
There was also the opportunity to discuss career openings and progression with members of the ABB staff.
Student Duncan Wanyoike, who is studying Level 2 Engineering, said: “The ABB Technology Day was a very special opportunity for us. Getting the chance to see the business aspect of engineering and all of the opportunities open to us in the future was very cool.
“Being inspired by the staff at ABB and getting to see the equipment, especially the robots and being shown how to use them, was educational but also very fun.”
ABB is a technology leader that works closely with utility, industry, transport and infrastructure customers in over 100 countries. Its UK headquarters in Warrington, Cheshire, is supported by 20 locations nationwide and 3,000 employees.
If you’re interested in studying engineering, you can apply for an engineering course here Engineering Archives – South Devon College
