To discover and explore what it’s like to be a chemical engineer working in different industries, young people can access a new interactive virtual work experience programme called 'Engineering a sustainable world'. Alongside the programme is a mini project called the sprint where they can try a real-world task. 

Resources

Signpost school students you meet at careers fairs or STEM outreach events to the virtual work experience programme. To support you, a double-sided postcard is available to order. The postcard gives a summary and a QR code for both the virtual work experience and the sprint. You can request these through the DiscoverChemEng order form. Also, you can download a PowerPoint presentation which can be printed for display or shown on a screen.

Watch the work experience trailer >>

Summary of the virtual work experience programme

Bite-sized interactive modules about chemical engineering and its importance in energy, food and drink, water and healthcare​.

• different career routes explained
• skills needed to help employability
• find out where chemical and process engineers work
• quizzes and tasks
• downloadable certificate to record achievement​
• over 6 hours of content.

Summary of the sprint

Set by an engineer, the sprint is a real-world task which can be completed at any time. School students will be guided through this mini-project by a real engineer working in the energy sector.

Skills practised:

• problem-solving
• mathematical skills
• applying existing knowledge in a new setting
• interpretation of an engineer’s process flow diagram
• downloadable certificate and workbook as a record of the completed task
• completed in 30 to 90 minutes.

Go to our dedicated page for virtual work experience to access the programme and the sprint.

Handy hints for member volunteers about VWEX

If you are supporting a careers fair and want some handy hints when talking to school students about the virtual work experience, take a look at this one-page summary Handy Hints VWEX.