News story: Marvel legends assemble to inspire next generation of engineering super heroes!

The government’s Year of Engineering is assembling Marvel super heroes, including Iron Man and The Hulk, to launch an exciting new partnership with the iconic comic brand. Marvel is the latest big name to join the campaign, which aims to transform perceptions of engineering among children age 7 to 16 and encourage more young people from different backgrounds to consider careers in the profession.

Young people are being encouraged to take the More Heroes Needed aptitude test to help them find out which super hero qualities they share with these legendary characters. They can then discover how those strengths could help them thrive in the world of engineering.

Launching the partnership, Year of Engineering Minister Nusrat Ghani joined children from the Berger Primary School in Hackney and a team of real-life super heroes – including a female army engineer turned weight-lifter, and an expert in comic book science – at an immersive new Marvel exhibition in east London.

The test aims to demonstrate to children that they have an abundance of talents that would suit a career in engineering, ones that perhaps they hadn’t previously appreciated. It demonstrates that engineering isn’t solely about academic aptitude but that curiosity, creativity and being honourable and collaborative are all important qualities of a successful engineer. The Year of Engineering is encouraging parents to take the test with their kids over the Christmas holidays, and curriculum-linked resources are available to help teachers bring super hero engineering to life in the classroom in the New Year.

Since the start of 2018, government has worked with more than 1,400 partners to deliver more than a million inspiring experiences of engineering, and research carried out in the first 6 months of the campaign shows that the percentage of 7 to 11 year olds who would consider engineering careers has shot up by 36%.

The new aptitude test is part of a wide range of resources for parents and teachers on the Year of Engineering website, which also features inspiring ideas to help keep kids busy and entertained over the Christmas holidays.

Nusrat Ghani, Minister for the Year of Engineering said:

The characters who inhabit the Marvel universe are famed for achieving amazing things against all odds; something engineers do on a daily basis.

Whether it’s tackling the problems of climate change, helping to provide clean water and energy in developing nations or using technology to help us live healthier more independent lives, the engineering profession is full of its very own super heroes.

I’m certain that this partnership will encourage many young people to look again at their own amazing abilities and realise that while they may never possess the strength of the Hulk they could one day move mountains as an engineer.

To take the test with your kids, head to moreheroesneeded.com.

For festive activities to get children making and inventing, visit yearofengineering.gov.uk/theholidaymakers.