House of Commons to host discussion on how to train the next generation of designers

Tomorrow, on 12 October, the Design and Technology Association (DATA) will host a discussion at the House of Commons around the issue of how to best train the next generation of designers and engineers. The discussion is taking place in conjunction with the All-Party Group on Innovation and Design, and Edge Foundation, with an audience of influential individuals from across government as well as educators and design experts.

The discussion, chaired by Michelle Donelan MP for Chippenham, will address what we should be doing to inspire more young people to study design and technology as a route into careers involving design and engineering. It aims to demonstrate the importance of these subjects in relation to supporting the Government’s Industrial Strategy and how this can advance manufacturing and engineering within creative and digital sectors.

Design and technology students from a range of schools will provide MPs, Lords and other guests with a display of work developed in their respective subjects using CAD CAM, robotics, 3D printing and drones.

The invited panel includes Andrew Churchill, MD of aerospace precision-engineering company JJ Churchill Ltd; Bill Williams, chief executive of the Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence; Alice Barnard, chief executive of Edge Foundation; Sally Benton, director of policy and research at the Design Council; Eileen Budd, project manager at the Victoria and Albert Institute; and Jonny Edge, subject advisor (Design, Technology and Engineering) for OCR.