TALENTED youngsters from a York secondary school have been showing off their engineering skills at a showcase event.

Five Year 11 pupils from Archbishop Holgate's School demonstrated some of the project work that they will be entering into the forthcoming Engineering Inspirations (EI), which takes place at the Yorkshire Air Museum on July 5.

Schools across the Yorkshire region were challenged to enter pupils in either teams or as individuals to showcase project work in core science, technology, maths and engineering subjects.

The objective is to stimulate pupil interest in this vital sector and raise awareness of career opportunities available to school leavers.

This year, the Yorkshire Air Museum has teamed up with the Creative Minds Project of the Yorkshire Museums Libraries and Archives Council to offer an overall winner's trophy, the Cayley Cup, which will be accompanied by £300 from the prize fund.

This award will go to the school from which the winning entrant is chosen, so not just individual but school pride is at stake.

In addition to the showcase of project work, there will be activities for pupils to get involved in, to ease the tension as the judges make their decisions.

These will include a miniature railway, a lab in a lorry, a solar boat competition, a teachers' challenge, model rocket and glider building, military music from the Kings Division Waterloo Band and the final of the Mechathlon.

The regional project has challenged pupils to construct a "mechanical athlete" that will compete in a mechanical pentathlon. A flypast by aircraft from RAF Linton-on-Ouse will complete the spectacle on the day.

Sir Peter Williams, chairman of the Engineering and Technology Board and National Physical Laboratory, will be speaking at the event.

Paul Murphy, chief executive of North Yorkshire Business & Education Partnership and chairman of the EI steering Group, is naturally delighted at securing such a high-profile speaker for the event.

He said the presence of Sir Peter Williams would be an added draw and incentive for schools to register their entries, which were currently flying in and were at a higher level than last year.

This is likely to mean that between 400 and 500 pupils are likely to attend on the day and competition for the 28 awards on offer will be intense.

There is still time for schools to register their teams and project work, and teachers are urged not to miss the opportunity to display the talents of their pupils to a wider audience.

Details of entry and sponsorship can be obtained from the North Yorkshire Business & Education Partnership on: 01904 693632.

Updated: 12:23 Thursday, May 26, 2005