ELEPHANT toothpaste experiments, identifying bones on X-rays and learning about the products local companies make to assist the armed forces were just some highlights of an interactive Barrow event.

The two-day Furness Big Bang Fair at Furness College has enthused some 1,200 young people about careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.

Primary, secondary and further education students all had access to more than 20 south Cumbria businesses and training providers who staged hands-on activities to promote awareness around science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) careers in local area.

STEM ambassadors worked with the young people to lead the experiments and demonstrations. They also explained how STEM is used in the industry and the skills needed for these careers.

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

Oxley Developments, of Ulverston, demonstrated its LED technology which is used on all types of military vehicles, including armoured personnel carriers and aircraft.

Greengate Junior School pupil Joseph Callow, nine, was interested in the technology on show. He said: "The Big Bang Fair is amazing. It's educational and really good to learn about the companies. I'd like to be a scientist or an engineer."

Children were piercing balloons with wooden skewers without popping them at the Siemens stand.

Apprentices, such as third year mechanical engineering apprentice Rebecca Smith, 18, was also showing the young people examples of its subsea connector technology.

Megan Cupid, nine, a pupil at Victoria Academy, said: "The Big Bang Fair is interesting and fun. We have done experiments and met people from businesses and universities."

Robotics and motorised model vehicles were on show with Gen2, which runs apprenticeship training and higher education in Furness and around the county.

Caitlyn Taylor, 13, of Walney School said: "It's been good opportunity to meet apprentices and see the companies."

Jo-anne Brooks, senior science technician at Walney School, said: "This is a very good event. It gives the students a great insight into all the companies."

The winner of Young Engineers competition for the Nuffield Research project was Matthew Taplin, of Ulverston Victoria High School.

His project, carried out through Siemens, was around testing and evaluating cleaning solutions for subsea conductors.

Millom School won the Young Scientists and Engineers competition with its environmental project, My School is an Island.

The sponsors of the event were Big Bang North West (Engineering UK), Centrica Energy and BAE Systems, along side the organisers.

Tony Gill, director of Stem Cumbria Ltd, thanked all those who had made the event possible, including the host venue Furness College.

Mr Gill said: "From the engagement of the students and the companies, it has been a tremendous success again.

"The pupils have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the companies are very pleased with the way they have engaged with them.

"It's inspirational to see how these young people are engaging in STEM activities. There has been a real buzz."

The schools attending yesterday were: Walney School, Greegate Juniors, Ormsgill Primary, Sir John Barrow, Victoria Academy, Yarlside Academy, Dane Ghyll and St Columba's Catholic Primary.

Barrow science event back with a bang