Inspiring the next generation of engineers

Glasgow Caledonian University is to host a free event aimed at promoting the next industrial revolution to young people and their guardians.

Charitable organisation SmartSTEMs and recruitment company Nine Twenty will bring the inaugural Insp-Hire event to our Glasgow campus on Saturday, September 14 − an initiative geared towards promoting Industry 4.0 and how this will impact future generations.

Industry 4.0 concerns the trend towards automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies and processes, which include cyber-physical systems (CPS), the internet of things (IoT), industrial internet of things (IIOT), cloud computing, cognitive computing, and artificial intelligence.

Dr Patricia Munoz de Escalona, Lecturer within the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, said: "Technology is moving at such a pace that education is more important than ever. We want to educate and inspire families to look at the future job market and what the required skills will look like in the new era."

The event will include an interactive exhibition space with virtual reality, 3D printers and electric vehicles, while there will also be 10 workshops where both parent and child can interact together to solve a cyber security attack, code Lego and build their own Fitbit.

A ‘routes to success’ area will highlight the different career paths available within Industry 4.0 and they will be complemented by soft skills sessions.

There will also be a number of guest speakers on the day, including Gillian Docherty, CEO of Data Lab, Scotland’s innovation centre for data and artificial intelligence.

Food and drink will also be available.

The event will run from 10am to 4pm. Sign up to attend here .