Every year tens of thousands of UK pupils enter Primary Engineer’s annual competition and answer the question “If you were an engineer, what would you do?”. Pupils are tasked with interviewing an engineer, identifying a problem in the world around them and coming up with a creative solution to that problem. They create an annotated drawing of their idea and write a letter to an engineering and technology professional (you!) explaining why it should be built!

Primary Engineer award every pupil with a personalised, engineer graded certificate and your feedback plays an important role in encouraging pupils to continue problem solving beyond their involvement in the competition whilst offering recognition of their hard work!… Primary Engineer receives tens and thousands of entries, and need your help to grade them!

What to expect:

On the day, the Primary Engineer team will deliver a short brief in the morning and then working solo or in pairs you will award Pass, Merit, Distinction or Distinction Shortlisted grades to pupil entries. There’s no preparation required and you’ll receive a limited-edition engineer’s badge and volunteer certificate too. Grading days are industry attended (no schools/pupils) so why not invite a colleague along too. No experience necessary and full guidance is given on the day!

There are limited places so register quickly to ensure your seat. Simply register on the links below for one (or more) near to you and join us in-person for a great day doing something a little bit different, ideal as volunteer/CPD use.

Thursday 19th March –

Cummins, Darlington 

Thursday 26th March –

Scottish Engineering, Glasgow

Thursday 26th March –

National Grid, Warwick

Tuesday 31st March –

Kawasaki, Plymouth

Wednesday 1st April –

CCCU, Canterbury

Wednesday 1st April –

MK College, Milton Keynes

Thursday 2nd April –

GKN Aerospace, Bristol

Thursday 9th April –

Cummins, Huddersfield

Friday 10th April –

CECA, North West

Monday 13th April –

ULAN, Burnley

Tuesday 14th April –

Glasgow, Strathclyde

Wednesday 15th April –

Siemens Energy, Cumbria

Wednesday 22nd April –

IMechE, London

Wednesday 29th April –

Jersey Electricity, Jersey

“This was my first Volunteering experience. It was fantastic, one of the funniest and most thought-provoking days ever. Some of the kids suggestions were hilarious, some sad, some sweet and even a few dark ones. There was a lot of thought and a lot of love gone into many of those suggestions. Instructors were great, supportive and helpful, thoroughly enjoyable day” – Ian, Thales

“It was such a fun experience that really makes you take a step back from your day to day work. I’ve been thoroughly inspired by the ideas pupils have come up with and loved the creativity. They quite often tugged at my heartstrings which made it so much harder to grade. It was so refreshing to transport into the minds of these pupils for a day. Definitely would do again next year, a really cool competition. My favourite designs were those that the stroke stopper and sign language translator” – Panxin, Rolls Royce Small Modular Reactors (SMR)

“A particularly special day marking Primary Engineer competition entries as some of the entries in the room were sent from the primary school I attended!” – Emma, Thales

“Absolutely great day, so well organised. Staff are so friendly and easy to work with and get along with. The day went smoothly and we managed to grade everything that was given out on the day. Seeing how the imagination of these kids work is so interesting and comical at times! Hopefully this project can encourage young people in to the world of engineering when it comes round to choosing a career.” – Josh, Rolls Royce Small Modular Reactors (SMR)

“A great day seeing creative solutions from the UKs tiniest engineers! Always lovely to be involved with initiatives like this, and great to be reminded that any problem has a solution if you think widely enough” – Holly, AECOM 

“Excellent day, well organised and engaging. I intend to continue my support and engagement with Primary Engineer and will recommend to my colleagues they consider supporting” – Michael, Civil Aviation Authority

“I am honored to have had the opportunity to participate in the Primary Engineering Grading Day at Thales . It was a powerful reminder of the incredible talent and potential of women in the field of engineering. I was truly impressed by the innovative projects and ideas presented by the students, and it was inspiring to see so many young people showcasing their skills and passion for engineering. It is clear that the future of engineering is in good hands with these talented individuals leading the way.” – Alessandra, Thales