Big Bang Fair set to return in 2024
The Big Bang Fair gives young people a chance to engage with STEM professionals through live shows and panels.
The fair has activities ranging from controlling a robot through challenges, piloting a submarine, to discovering how different materials are used in sports and space exploration.
The annual fair, run by EngineeringUK, is taking place from Wednesday 19 to Friday 21 June 2024 at the NEC in Birmingham.
Students aged 10-13 from across the UK can register for free tickets to attend.
Given the UK’s acute skills shortage and ambitions to meet net-zero by 2050, STEM activities like this are vital to increase future engagement in engineering and technology.
Phillip McShane, Associate Director – Big Bang Programme at EngineeringUK, says, ‘We know that taking part in STEM outreach activities from an early age plays a vital role in changing the perceptions and attitudes students feel towards careers in the sector. The Big Bang Fair is a brilliant opportunity for employers and professional engineering institutions to help ignite a passion for STEM and inspire young people from all backgrounds to pursue careers in their sectors.’
Just under 16,000 young people attended the 2023 Fair, along with 2,300 teachers.
A student who attended commented, ‘I really enjoyed the variety of activities that have been present during The Big Bang Fair. They have all opened up a wider insight into the industry of engineering and how much passion people have for their careers.’
Also taking place will be the awards ceremony for the popular Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition. Winners will be announced, including the crowning of the prestigious Big Bang UK Young Engineer, UK Young Scientist and UK Young Technologist of the Year.
The Competition, which is free to enter, is open to young people in the UK aged 11-18 in state-funded education, who are home educated or who enter as part of a community group.
