Pupils’ STEM education from bus station engineers

Merthyr Tydfil school children have been learning about the world of engineering, courtesy of a visit from members of the team building the new bus station.

Pupils at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, which is directly opposite the new station site, were given the opportunity to explore equipment commonly used on construction sites.

The visit was part of the years 3 and 4 pupils’ STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) studies and saw them using a rotating laser, Electronic Distance Measurement (EDM) instrument and other engineering equipment.

Employees of principal contractor Morgan Sindall, Greg Jones and Ross Williams were on hand to show the 50-plus children how the surveying kit works and allow them to 'have a go'.

“We discussed the multitude of engineers who work in construction - civil, structural, electrical, mechanical and so on,” said Ross. “We then focused more specifically on the role of site engineers, so that when the students look in on us, they’ll understand a little better what’s going on.”

The rotating laser is used for transferring levels across a building site, while the EDM instrument involves using a prism to accurately survey points on the site.

“This practical application was far more useful for them as they could actually see how things worked and what engineers might be doing day-to-day – and, most importantly, why,” Ross added.

“It was a fun session and the pupils appeared to really engage and want to take part.”

The school’s Leader of Science and Technology Sarah Thomas said: ““Thanks so much to Morgan Sindall for giving pupils in St Mary's the opportunity to learn about engineering in their own community. The children had a wonderful time exploring different roles, using equipment and applying STEM related skills within a real life context.”

• The new Merthyr Tydfil bus station is currently being built on the site of the former police station in Swan Street, with an expected completion date of autumn 2020.

Welsh Government has awarded the County Borough Council £10m funding for the station, which will be located closer to the town’s railway station, to complement its significant investment in the Core Valley Lines Rail Network.