Initiative aims to inspire next generation of electronics engineers

The inaugural, 10 week Go4SET project, created by the UK Electronic Skills Foundation in partnership with the Engineering Development Trust, saw 10 teams of six students from across the South West compete to present their visions and prototypes of future technologies. One of the most interesting projects presented during the day was a netball top that incorporated an Arduino board with leds and a buzzer that could be controlled by a coach to name the captain, highlight which team a player is on and announce player changes. The device is currently controlled via a pc but the team, pictured, wants to incorporate wireless technology so that it can be managed via an iPad app. UKESF strategic advisory board chair and Plastic Logic ceo, Indro Mukerjee, said: "Electronics is an exciting technology that touches and enables every aspect of life. "Our industry needs to reach out to students and engage with them to communicate this before they even begin making their GCSE choices. "The ideas presented yesterday show that this new UKESF-Go4SET project can certainly play a significant role in achieving this. However, further support for the project by employers across the country is necessary to help attract more young talent into the sector." The UKESF is now looking to roll out the initiative nationally.