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Young entrepreneur throws her support behind Discovery School

Young inventor Ruth Amos has thrown her support behind the north-east’s new Discovery School and has urged students to grab every career opportunity that comes their way.

The 23-year-old businesswoman said she hoped Discovery School would go some way to closing the engineering skills gap in the region and would show students what a fascinating and exciting career engineering could be.

Discovery School will open in Newcastle in September 2014. Working in close partnership with businesses, it will offer students aged between 14 and 19 a curriculum based around engineering and IT underpinned by the STEM subjects, along with practical and industry-experience.

Ruth, who developed the revolutionary StairSteady handrail to assist people up and down the stairs as part of her GCSE Technology project when she was just 16, said: “The great thing about Discovery School is that everyone there will be working towards the same goal.

“I went to a technology specialist school, which I guess is the closest thing you could get to Discovery School, but it didn’t have engineering and technology running through every vein, like Discovery School will.

“I think it’s an amazing opportunity to show that engineering and the STEM subjects are not geeky or just for boys. It will be a great place to learn if everyone is passionate about STEM and the art of creating things.”

The invention of StairSteady led Ruth to be named the UK’s Young Engineer of the Year in 2006.

She went on to secure financial backing for her product and has since sold hundreds of StairSteady devices and is hopeful of new contracts overseas.

However, she has not stopped there. She has also set up a raft of other companies and is always on the lookout for young engineers with vision and passion.

Ruth, said: “I believe very strongly that we are the average of the five people we each spend the most time with, so if the people closest to us are innovative, passionate and hard working, then we will be like that, too.

“That is why Discovery School has the power to do really great things. Students will be surrounded by passion and enthusiasm and they will have a real understanding of what the industry is looking for.

“Discovery School will give students a head start.”

Students who are entering Year 10 or Year 12 next September can visit the school website and apply online to study at Discovery School. Places are limited so please apply early.

Discovery School will begin holding Open Evenings for parents and prospective students from Wednesday 30th October between 6.00pm and 7.00pm and every Wednesday thereafter. These will be held in the Discovery Room, on Palace Street off George Street, Newcastle, NE4 7LH – between Magnet and Newcastle Sixth Form College and close to where Discovery School is currently being built.

Principal Wendy Allen said: “Ruth has achieved so much at such a young age and is a wonderful inspiration, it has been a real pleasure to have her support the work we are doing on Discovery School.

“Ruth’s input, along with support and involvement from so many other businesses, means that our curriculum and ethos will be relevant and responsive to industry needs and will open up work experience doors to students.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .