AROUND 4,000 children attended the Wiltshire Festival of Engineering and Manufacturing which was held in Trowbridge last Friday (November 3).


Organised by MP Michelle Donelan and MP Andrew Murrison, the annual festival tries to break stereo types behind the engineering profession and encourage school children to consider it as a career path.


Engineering companies of all sizes including Dyson and Air Bus set up hands on exhibitions to introduce the children to some basic ideas of engineering.


Michelle Donelan said: "We are hoping to get more females and young people into the engineering industry.


"We also need to show the children that engineering opportunities are right on their doorstep here in Wiltshire."


Andrew Murrison said: "We desperately need to improve our level of skills and interest in science technology and engineering in young people and to break down any psychological barriers that there may be.


"We hope to introduce and encourage young people into the profession."
Minster of state for education Nick Gibb was shown around the festival of engineering by the two MP's as he saw the children's enthusiasm and interest for engineering first hand.


He said: "It is vital that we show school children the options that they have when choosing the subjects they could study in school, and one of these is engineering.


"I hope the children have been inspired today and will consider a career in engineering when the time comes to chose thier GCSE and even A-level subjects."


Many pupils were fascinated by some of the exhibitions and learned something new about the profession.


Helena De Gesus, year six pupil at Oasis Academy Longmeadow in Trowbridge said: "We learned about lots of different types of energy and how they can be generated, we made energy by pedalling on a bike."