ICE Futures aims to inspire students to consider Civil Engineering as a career.
This free, interactive platform launched by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), makes exploring civil engineering careers easy and fun, and follows three relatable characters – Mae, Robyn and Omar – on their professional journey through a futuristic city, Brighthaven, that evolves over 50 years.
Developed by immersive learning experts, Make Real, and civil engineers, the platform reflects a credible future in engineering. Students from schools in Hertfordshire, Caterham (Surrey), and Belfast also worked with the team to trial the website and got a sneak peek of the planned content.
The website has also been designed to support teachers and career advisers. As its curriculum-friendly resource aligns to Gatsby benchmarks 1 and 4 and highlights how key subjects like maths, science, and geography connect to engineering careers.
According to a BBC Bitesize careers survey, ‘engineer’ is a top career choice for teenagers, ranking second only to ‘doctor’, and ICE Futures is an accessible way to see what a civil engineer does and how to become one.
What do students learn?
Website users follow Mae, Robyn, and Omar to learn about the infrastructure projects the characters are working on to improve the city and its climate resilience, public transport, and facilities.
Users must make decisions such as whether they should repurpose materials for local developments and complete mini games to further the story. For example, to improve Brighthaven’s rail system, they connect rail lines in a maze challenge.
As the narrative unfolds, bite-size information and short quizzes reinforce key concepts. More in-depth information on relevant topics, like how civil engineers work with communities, is integrated into the story and users can visit the ICE website or other educational platforms to read more.
Séan Harris, ICE deputy director general and director of membership, said: “By making career exploration interactive and engaging, ICE Futures enables young people to understand the transformative impact of civil engineering, and how pursuing a career in this industry could help society.
“ICE Futures underscores the Institution of Civil Engineers’ commitment to education and to cultivating a diverse, skilled talent pipeline that will shape the future of the industry.”
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