Led by Callum Earl from Babcock’s Early Careers Outreach Team and apprentices Gheorghe, Missy, and Hugh, the interactive session gave students a real taste of life in the engineering and manufacturing sectors.

Working in teams of six, students ran their own simulated manufacturing business. Their mission was to build as many high-quality Lego cranes as possible within a tight "manufacturing year." Each successful crane earned £2,000, while faulty or incomplete builds carried a £250 penalty. Teams had to manage production costs, time, and resources to maximise profits, learning firsthand how systematic reviews improve efficiency, which parts of a process add value, and how businesses manage financial budgets.

While some groups found the coordination tricky at first, they quickly adapted by assigning specific roles and listening to each other's ideas.

"At first I wasn't sure and thought it was a simple process," said Year 10 student Maddie. "But it soon became clear that the better we worked, the more product we made. In our first year, we made over £195,000 profit!" Marlee added, "Our team worked well together from the start. We realised the more we focused, the more we were able to make."

The Lego element brought out a brilliant competitive edge, with Year 10 taking the overall crown for making the most profit.

Bella, who acted as Project Manager, reflected:

"We got started slowly, but then everyone got competitive and wanted to win. It took us a few attempts to really listen to each other, but once we did, we started to build faster and quicker!"

We would like to extend a huge thank you to the Babcock team for delivering such a valuable, engaging session that helped our students develop key skills for the future. Well done to everyone who took part!