Charlotte Cant is looking forward to a challenge today.

The 12-year-old, of Stanway School, is part of a team taking part in a national Faraday Challenge, an annual event run by the Institute of Engineering and Technology to increase the number of young people entering the industry.

“I am really excited about it,” says Charlotte.

“I am quite academic and really like science subjects and I was just talking the other day about wanting a career as a scientist.”

Stanway School is one of five schools from north Essex which will battle it out in an engineering challenge set to test their practical, academic and team working skills.

A total of 36 Year 8 students from Stanway School, St Helena School and Thomas, Lord Audley in Colchester, along with Manningtree High School and Clacton County High, are taking part in the challenge today, among 45 schools nationwide.

“The UK needs engineers and technicians,” says Gareth James, head of education at the institute.

Mr James says the UK needs to double the number of engineering graduates and also double the number of engineering apprentices each year for the next ten years to meet the need.

“The problem we find is not many young people know anyone in the engineering industry. Their influences are their parents and teachers so they don’t understand what engineering is all about.”

Mr James continues: “The rewards for working in this industry are great. The pay is good, the projects are exciting and there are opportunities for worldwide travel. We hope that by holding this challenge every year for students aged 12 and 13, we can develop their interest before they choose the subjects that will shape their future.”

The challenge for the five north Essex schools is being held at Alderman Blaxill School, Colchester. They have been set a task which they will only learn the details of on the morning, and must come up with a solution by the end of the day by working in teams of six.

The challenge will expect students to use skills including budgeting, teamworking and problem solving.

The institute funds the challenge, and will pick three teams from across the country to take part in the final challenge in Oxford in June.

The winning team receives £1,000 for their school. It is a prospect Charlotte is looking forward to.

She says: “I am quite organised and think things through and like working in teams where everyone brings something different to the project.”