Pupils excel in Linlithgow and Bo'ness Rotary Club's Young Technologists competition

Linlithgow Academy won the Intermediate Competition at the Rotary Young Technologists Competition.

Pupils from secondary schools across central Scotland showed off their engineering skills last week when the Rotary Young Technologists Competition took place in Bo’ness.

After a three year absence the popular competition returned giving young people the chance to take on some engineering and technology challenges.

Co-ordinated by Ken Richardson of the Linlithgow and Bo’ness Rotary Club, the competition was sponsored by the Institute of Structural Engineers (IStructE) who view it as an opportunity to encourage youngsters to consider following an engineering career path by participating in local design, build and test competitions.

Twenty teams from seven schools took part in the event, including three S1-2 teams from the new Winchburgh Academy.

The Bo'ness Academy team hard at work during the Rotary Young Technologists Competition.

On the day the teams of four pupils had to solve an interactive technology-based task and were required to design, develop and build a solution with the materials supplied. The competition culminated in the testing session when the teams demonstrated their best solution to the task.

Stewards – a combination of teachers and Rotary members – were on hand to guide the pupils throughout and offer a helping hand where necessary to ensure everyone got the most from the experience.

It was a busy day for the pupils with the judges marking their design portfolio of work at lunchtime before judging the finished design a few hours later.

The judging panel was made up of three IStructE engineer volunteers and three Rotary Club members with backgrounds in engineering, technology and design.

Ken Richardson said: “The teaching and support staff team at Bo’ness Academy made all of the team members and stewards feel very welcome. Their hospitality made all the warmer by the superb doughnuts and pastries at coffee time!

"Seriously though, we are grateful to the Academy for hosting the competition and ensuring all the teams had what they needed to complete their tasks.

"Although there were winning teams in each category, in my opinion everyone that took part deserves a prize for their ingenuity and team work.”

Ken also extended a special thank you to teacher Alison Jones who hosted the event and acted as a liaision to the organisers.

The winners in each category were: Basic – Falkirk High; Intermediate – Linlithgow Academy and Advanced – Bo’ness Academy.