FROM activities with Lego robots, to the science behind follicles, students have been getting interactive with engineering and science in Barrow.

Some 1,200 young people from Furness schools will visit the Big Bang Fair in Barrow this week.

The event opened at Furness College today (Tuesday) and continues at the Channelside campus tomorrow (Wednesday).

More than 20 businesses and organisations have been putting on fun activities and demonstrations to promote careers in science, technology, engineering and maths in the area.

The Furness Big Bang festival is organised by Stem Cumbria Ltd, Barrow Engineering Project, Furness Education and Skills Partnership and Furness College.

Global pharmaceutical company GSK, which has a site at Ulverston, was the official laboratory services provider for anti-doping testing for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

GSK Ulverston replicated anti-doping testing with an experiment for youngsters at Big Bang.

Pupils from Dane Ghyll Primary School, in Barrow, were fascinated by the experiment to find the cheating athletes.

Jack Instance, 11, of Dane Gyhll said: "It's a really exciting event.

"We could come to this college and we could work for these companies."

Dane Ghyll headteacher Garry Schofield, said: "This is an excellent event. It brings all these organisations under one roof. The children are experiencing proper science and engineering.

"It is massively important that they learn about local industry."

The students could test their skills on activities around gear selection, electrical circuits and packaging assembly with the team from Kimberly-Clark.

Bob McClean, the apprentice training coordinator at Kimberly-Clark, said; "It's a great event. The pupils are very enthusiastic, they are paying attention and having a go at the activities."

Brian Wood, the coordinator of BEP and co chairman of FESP, said: "The young people have had a great time. There is a really bubbly atmosphere. All the stands are interactive and full of really exciting things to do.

"We are raising the profile of STEM based careers and the relevance of STEM in the world of work.

"The school staff have been very complimentary and the behaviour of children magnificent."

Mr Wood said Big Bang is very lucky to have Furness college supporting and hosting the event whole heartily and with exciting activities from across its departments, including land mine detection and fitness testing. There was also thanks to The Big Bang North West (Engineering UK), Centrica Energy and BAE Systems who sponsored the event along side the organisers.

The schools attending on day one of Big Bang were: Ulverston Victoria High, St Pius X, George Romney, Barrow Island, Newabrns, Pennington, Furness Academy, Dowdales, St James, St George's, Chetwynde, George Hastwell and Dane Ghyll.

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