Industrial Cadets explore river engineering and ecology
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work in the water and environmental engineering sector?
Students from schools across Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, York and Sheffield took part in a fantastic week of exploring water based careers as part of the Industrial Cadets scheme organised by the Engineering Development Trust (EDT) and hosted by Yorkshire Water. The EDT scheme aims to build critical skills, celebrate achievements, and provide young people with the confidence to succeed.
We were delighted to welcome 29 students to the JBA Consulting offices in Salts Mill for an afternoon to learn more about how engineered structures, like weirs and culverts, have affected the flow and ecology of rivers since the Industrial Revolution.
Adam Odell and Alex Scott (above) used the sectional flume to demonstrate how weirs, fish passes, culverts and bridges affect the flow of water in a river, as well as exploring the water safety hazards of these structures.
Jon Whitmore, Technical Director for Hydroecology at JBA Consulting, introduced the students to the impact of structures on river habitats and ecology (below).
The students learnt how Yorkshire’s rivers are now being restored by organisations like the Aire Rivers Trust, who have produced a brilliant online tour of the heritage of the river ‘A journey through time on the River Aire’.
Jon then took the Industrial Cadets on a guided tour to the River Aire to see a fish pass that has recently been created on the Salts Mill weir to enable fish and eels to migrate as part of their natural lifecycle.
Students reflecting on the week commented:
“It was a brilliant eye-opening experience”
“The more I learnt about water, the more I care”
“A great opportunity to learn new skills and make new friends”
“It opened my eyes to a variety of interesting careers”
Thank you to everyone who supported the event and shared their knowledge and experience with the students, hopefully inspiring the next generation of water managers.
