Siemens Water Technologies’ UK operation is based in Tonbridge and the company invited students from K College for a day working with a team of their senior executives as part of Siemens’ community engagement programme.

Nearly 60 students from the engineering, photography and early years courses took part. After a briefing, they were divided into teams, separating them up so they worked with students they didn’t know before.

Principal of K College, Bill Fearon, said: ‘Students have told us they would like to meet with those on other courses that they don’t usually get the chance to mix with in College, so this was a great opportunity to address that. The students who took part today thoroughly enjoyed themselves and took part whole-heartedly. We hope this can be the beginning of a relationship with Siemens that can roll out across all five towns in Kent served by K College.’

Siemens staff who gave goodie bags to students that took part said they were impressed by the engagement – and though it was a competition, there were no losers! Managing director of Siemens Water Technologies, Ian Stentiford, who came from Wales to judge the competition said: ‘This is a great opportunity for the K College students and, for us, to engage with our local community. We are responding to our staff who told us they want to get out more and tell local people what we do.’

 

 

  

The challenge presented to the students was to launch a new Siemens product, a water quality monitor. They had to work out a plan and then present it to judges. Richard Tiong, who is studying electrical engineering, said: ‘I enjoyed working with the Siemens staff and have made contacts that I hope will be helpful in future when I want to get a job. I’ve learned about how to market a new product.’

Early Years student, Danielle Hayward, said: ‘We were a bit confused at the start about the product but the engineering students really helped us a lot and I really got into it at the end! It has made me feel more confident because I don’t normally like to talk in front of people and after this I feel I can.’

Photography student, Louis Walpole, said he hoped to get experience that he could use in other aspects of his coursework. ‘The day has been as I expected it to be. It is quite focused on a specific product but you can use this across a range of different things.’

Events like this competition were set up by Business in the Community, and organised by Education Business Partnership Kent. Anne McNulty of EBP, said: ‘This gives K College students a unique opportunity to learn from people who work in a top international company. They will learn skills that will be invaluable when they are applying for jobs at the end of their college courses.’

At the end of the day, Siemens said it was so impressed by all ten of the engineering students, it was inviting all of them to spend a day at the company. The 7 photography students would be given the same opportunity. The Early Years students on the 3 top teams will be helped to find direct experience with companies in the area in their field, organised by EBP.

For further information – Sandy Fleming, College, PR and Media Relations, K College, on 0791 7765811