Youngsters and families saw a variety of engineering projects in action, and had the opportunity to try the technology themselves, at an open day last week.
More than 400 people attended Sellafield's Engineering Centre of Excellence open day in Cleator Moor on Friday, 26 July.
On display was a selection of engineering, AI, and robotics projects from different departments within Sellafield, as well as the work of other West Cumbrian organisations like CORE Nuclear Solutions, Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH), Gen2, and Co-Lab Engineering.
Exhibits included robot dogs, flying drone simulators, virtual reality headsets, and AI software.
Artur Majchrowski, an engineer from Sellafield’s IET team, said: "To most people we are a nuclear facility sat behind high fences with security at the gate - they don't know what we do and the many varied careers on offer.
"Being able to use this fantastic off-site facility is an opportunity for us to bring those jobs to life, to show young people that a career in STEM can be rewarding and fun.
"There is so much more to Sellafield than people know.
"We aim to keep refreshing what we have on offer, so that each IET Engineering Open House Day experience is different.
“A huge thank you goes to other companies who came along to support what we are trying to do.
"Hopefully we will have inspired a number of those who attended to pursue a career in STEM."
Craig Branney, Sellafield’s head of off site developments, said: "It’s been brilliant to once again show the young people of West Cumbria all the different aspects of engineering and maintenance at Sellafield and in the supply chain.
"It was wonderful to welcome so many youngsters and their families – more than 400 throughout the day.
"Hopefully it opens the door to them to be inspired and to think about future career opportunities.
"My two youngest daughters, Penelope and Ophelia, came along to see what we do here and absolutely loved it.
"It was a fantastic day.
"But it’s only the start of what we can do here.
"There’s plenty more to come!"
Gary McKeating, managing director of iSH, said: "Days like this are all about ensuring that the next generation of engineering talent comes from our local communities.
"It is an exciting time for the sector and for industry across the region, so anything that promotes the skills and career opportunities available to our young people is very important.
"It’s a fun and creative day that inspires young people to think about their future and how their creativity will make a difference to future generations."
The open day, catered to children aged between 5 and 13 along with their parents and guardians, is organised by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) and is now in its fourth year.
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