BLOG | IoW College Motor Vehicle trip to Brooklands College
PROGRESSION MENTOR BLOG | December 2022
By Feiron Walsh SUN Progression Mentor
On the 29 June 2022, students from the Motor Vehicle Programme at the Isle of Wight College visited Brooklands Motor Museum and Brooklands College, led by SUN Progression Mentor Feiron Walsh.
The visit to Brooklands College was an opportunity to introduce Level 4 higher education progression opportunities to the students studying Level 2 Motor Vehicle at the Isle of Wight College. The foundation degree in Motorsport Engineering offered at Brooklands College is an exciting pathway for students who have a strong interest in working with engines at a higher level.
The visit to the museum, as well as the chance to sit in a Formula 1 car really appealed to the students. In addition, the opportunity to discover in complex detail, more about cars, bikes, planes and their history, helped the students to recognize some of their transferrable skills from their course, particularly in the field of aviation. The experience at the Museum enabled students to see the engines, how they performed in history and how their existing skills would be used on different engines and in different careers.
The students really valued getting to speak to current Brooklands students who have been studying the foundation degree, and the chance to see a racing car being put through a test and use equipment was really exciting for all the students. The tutor explained the process used to enhance and increase the speed, using the mathematics and science needed, which was another aspect the students were not as aware of. But they now have that knowledge and why it is needed. Two of the students who had achieved a 4 in mathematics at GCSE, decided they would re-sit their exam to achieve a 5 in order to progress.
The evaluation on the visit was very positive. For the final question: ‘Did today’s activities help give you a better understanding of the opportunities available to you for your progression?’ 100% answered ‘Yes’.
Isle of Wight College,
SUN Progression Mentor
