CAREER PATHWAYS: GET READY FOR ENGINEERING
Engineering Summer School for Students Aged 14–17 in London Westminster
Build Something the World Has Never Seen Before
The bridges you cross, the phone in your pocket, the buildings that define city skylines and the rockets on route to space. Every single one started with an engineer who looked at the world and asked — how can I make this better?
Engineering is one of the most in-demand, best paid and most exciting career paths in the world. We need more great engineers than ever before. Why don't you find out this summer, if you are one of them.
Get Ready for Engineering is Academic Summer's specialist engineering programme — two weeks in London Westminster where you will move from theory to practice, from classroom to company, and from student to engineer in the making. With expert tutors, hands-on projects, real engineering challenges and the Da Vinci Competition, this is the programme that shows you what engineering actually feels like.
Get Ready for Engineering is for You, if You
Are dedicated to pursuing a career in engineering and want a competitive edge
Love Maths and Science and want to see how they apply to the real world
Are interested in engineering but are not yet sure which field — civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical — is right for you
Want hands-on experience with real engineering problems, projects and software
Are preparing for A Levels, IB, AP or university engineering courses and want to arrive ready and confident
Want to hear from real engineers and visit a real engineering company
WHAT WILL YOU STUDY ON GET READY FOR ENGINEERING?
Forty hours of specialist learning over two weeks, delivered in small interactive groups at DLD College Westminster, London with Academic Summer Camps. Every session combines theory with practical application because real engineers don't just learn concepts, they use them.
Engineering Fundamentals We introduce you to the four core branches of engineering — Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Chemical. You will develop an understanding of each field and start to form a picture of where your own interests and strengths lie. From structural engineering and beam bridges to electrical basics, PV cells, circuits and breadboards, every concept is taught with application in mind.
Mathematics and Physics Engineering runs on Maths and Physics. You will study the mathematical and scientific principles that underpin engineering practice and these include algebra, integration, forces and motion, the Bernoulli Principle, Hooke's Law, heat transfer and mechanics of elastic solids. Every calculation has a purpose and a real-world application that makes it come alive.
Practical Workshops and Hands-On Projects This is where engineering gets exciting. Through hands-on workshops you will build and test beam bridges, design circuits using circuit diagram software, work with PV cells, explore materials engineering and polymers, model engineering structures and take part in rocket technology workshops. You will use real engineering software and complete a paper plane activity which is simple in concept, but surprisingly complex in execution.
Thermodynamics, Aerodynamics and the Future of Engineering Week two takes you deeper into thermodynamics, aerodynamics, biotechnology, AI research tasks and engineering for the future. This is where the cutting edge of the engineering world meets the classroom, and where you start to see the extraordinary possibilities that a career in engineering opens up.
Environmental, Ethical and Sustainability Considerations The engineers of the future will not just build things, they will build things responsibly. You will explore the economic, environmental and safety implications of engineering decisions, consider sustainability and discuss the ethical questions that every modern engineer must be able to answer.
Interview Skills, University Applications and Career Guidance Getting into a top engineering course is competitive. Through interview skills workshops, university application guidance and the My Future Choice psychometric aptitude and career guidance platform, you will leave with a clear sense of the engineering pathway that suits you best and the tools to pursue it with confidence. You will also visit a top university.
Real-Life Engineering Masterclasses Case studies, problem-solving challenges and engineering masterclasses bring every concept to life. You will visit a real engineering company or manufacturing facility, seeing how the industry actually operates, meeting the people who work in it and understanding what a career in engineering looks like.
The Da Vinci Competition — Engineering's Biggest Challenge
This is the moment that defines the programme and you will remember!
Named after history's greatest engineering mind, the Da Vinci Competition is a team challenge where higher-order thinking, creativity and problem-solving come together. Working in teams, you will take on a real engineering design challenge, applying everything you have learned across two weeks to produce a solution, build a case and present your findings to a panel.
This is not a test. It is an experience that will show you exactly what you are capable of when you think like an engineer. Exciting.
London — Built by Engineers
Look around London and you see engineering everywhere. The bridges spanning the Thames, The Shard piercing the skyline, the Underground running beneath your feet, the O2, Canary Wharf and The Houses of Parliament directly opposite your classroom window.
London is the perfect city in which to study engineering, and based at DLD College London Westminster, you are at the centre of it. During the programme you will visit a real engineering company and see the industry from the inside. Weekend trips to Oxford and Cambridge take you to two of England's most iconic destinations, both home to world-class universities. Also a chance to have some fun at Thorpe Park.
Evening experiences include a Big Bus Tour of London, St Katharine's Dock, the London Eye, Notting Hill, a West End theatre and Oxford Street.
See the full details our exciting Leisure Programme
Be a Leader
The best engineers are not just technically brilliant, they are communicators, leaders and decision makers.
Be a Leader runs through everything at Academic Summer Camps developing the leadership, communication and confidence that the engineering world demands. Through daily assemblies, Meet a Leader talks and the My Future Choice psychometric and aptitude report, you will understand your own strengths and career potential in a new way. Your personal report gives you a clear picture of the engineering paths and university courses that align with who you are.
Every student leaves with a CPD qualification in Be a Leader that is internationally recognised professional development for your CV and university application.
The Facts about Get Ready for Engineering for Teenagers aged 14-17
Course length: Two weeks
Age: 14-17
Min English level: B2 on the CEFR
Hours of learning: 40 per week
Max class size: 12
What Will You Leave the Career Pathway with?
- A CPD qualification in Get Ready for Engineering
- A CPD qualification in Be a Leader
- Da Vinci Competition experience — a real engineering challenge
- Experience across Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Chemical Engineering
- Engineering software skills and practical project experience
- University application guidance and interview skills
- A My Future Choice personal report
- A weekly progress report from your tutors
- The knowledge and confidence to pursue engineering at the highest level
LET'S TALK
Every great summer begins with one conversation. Our friendly team is ready to help.