Basingstoke ObserverTHREE hundred students from across Hampshire attended TeenTech Hampshire Festival, delivered by EBP South, at the Hampshire Court Hotel in Basingstoke on 29 June.
The interactive event, which took place in Hampshire for the 9th year, was hosted by Maggie Philbin and Dallas Campbell and aimed to inspire young people about STEM industries and to challenge career stereotypes.
TeenTech founder Maggie Philbin said: “It was so wonderful to be back with an in-person event because the virtual events are great, but when you can talk to and meet all the students and the companies in person it is an off the scale experience. The thing which really impressed me is the creativity and curiosity of the young people who come along. This event is about inspiring young people and helping them to see that the careers across tech and engineering are open to everybody, but it is also about reminding employers about the talent that is sitting in classrooms, frequently with no idea of how good they actually are, and they really are good. It has been said to me more than once by leading tech companies that if they had people on their teams who could present in the way those young teenagers present, they would be very happy.”
Twenty four organisations attended the event providing STEM ambassadors, challenge activities for the students to take part in and an insight into their industries. This gave the students an opportunity to be inspired by the contemporary industries shaping their future. The activities included a Lego Coding Challenge, Robotic Jousting and Fighting Cyber Crime.
The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane Cllr Paul Miller said: “It was a pleasure to attend the TeenTech event which brings local businesses and young people together to explore local opportunities in the science, technology and engineering industries. It was also great to see young people being able to try their hand at a range of activities and it was clear that they all have bright futures ahead of them. The high level of enthusiasm displayed by the students showed that the format of the TeenTech events works as a vital stepping stone for their future. We would welcome TeenTech back to Basingstoke in the future.”
