1 What is engineering and an engineer?

This young person-focused project aimed to identify students ’ perceptions and understanding of the concept of ‘engineering ’ and an ‘engineer’. The project looked to address the ‘mismatch’ between what young people think engineering is and the reality, at the same time showcasing ways for school teachers to more accurately inform their students about the true nature of engineering in order to encourage more young people to study engineering in the future. The aim was to collect the views of young people about engineering as a subject, career choice and discipline. It was planned to bring school pupils to the university for a ‘taster day ’ where they could work with our staff and undergraduates and experience university level engineering facilities first-hand. The students would then be interviewed again to see if their original assumptions had changed. In addition to providing the young people with greater appreciation and excitement about the subject of engineering, it was hoped to use their feedback and the insight gained into their thinking to plan future activities more effectively