Nearly 400 pupils from primary schools in Lisburn and Castlereagh participated in 15 engineering sessions at Lagan Valley Island in February. The students designed, built and tested a 13-metre-long and 3-metre-high bridge alongside professional engineers.

The sessions formed part of The Big Bridge STEM initiative run by the Lisburn and Castlereagh Labour Market Partnership. Funding came from the Department for Communities. Workshops targeted Primary 5 to Primary 7 pupils and lasted one hour each.

Each session included group construction tasks linked to the Northern Ireland curriculum plus information on engineering careers. Participants received certificates of achievement.

Councillor Claire Kemp, chair of the Regeneration and Growth Committee, stated the council aims to raise aspirations and support economic growth through such opportunities. Teachers noted the activities matched curriculum requirements and allowed direct interaction with engineers.