Building bridges to a future in engineering: iGEMS learners put their ideas to the test

How much weight can a wooden bridge hold? For our iGEMS Grade 11 learners, finding the answer meant turning ideas into designs, working together and putting their creations through a final test.

Our annual Bridge Building Competition, hosted in partnership with SANRAL, Labco and GIBB Engineering & Architecture, gave learners the opportunity to experience engineering in a practical and memorable way.

With wooden pieces and a shared challenge, teams put their creativity, problem-solving and construction skills to work. The moment of truth came when each bridge was tested to see how much weight it could support.

The results mattered. So did the thinking, teamwork and learning that went into every structure.

Making classroom learning tangible

For a learner considering an engineering career, practical exposure can help connect an interest in mathematics and science with a clearer understanding of what engineers do.

A bridge-building challenge brings that connection to life. It encourages learners to think about how individual parts work together, how a design responds under pressure and how an idea on paper translates into a working structure.

It also creates room for questions: What made one design effective? Where could another be strengthened? What would we do differently next time?

These questions are valuable regardless of where a team finishes. They encourage learners to look carefully at results, learn from the evidence and consider how to improve.

Learning to work as a team

Engineering requires people to share ideas, explain their thinking and work towards a common goal.

Our learners had to bring their individual contributions together to create one bridge. The task offered an opportunity to practise listening, making decisions and taking responsibility for a shared outcome.

At iGEMS, we see these experiences as an important part of preparing young people for further study and the workplace. Technical knowledge matters, alongside the confidence and interpersonal skills needed to apply it with others.

One experience within a longer journey

iGEMS — Incubating Great Engineering Minds — is an initiative of the Unity in Africa Foundation. Our four-phase education-to-employment programme combines academic support, personal development, mentorship and industry exposure to help young people progress towards engineering and technical careers.

The journey begins at school, continues through a structured learnership year and tertiary studies, and extends into employment. Leadership development runs throughout, supporting the confidence, resilience and adaptability learners need as they progress.

The Bridge Building Competition forms part of this wider purpose: helping learners explore engineering early enough to make more informed decisions about their futures.

The event also has an established history. SANRAL’s coverage of the fifth annual competition in 2019 described it as part of the iGEMS holiday programme, alongside workshops, site visits and practical projects designed to introduce learners to engineering.

Partnerships that create opportunity

Experiences like these depend on organisations willing to invest in young people and their potential.

We extend a special thank you to SANRAL, Labco and GIBB Engineering for their annual sponsorship of the Bridge Building Competition and their continued partnership with iGEMS.

Your support creates opportunities for learners to move from theory to practice, test their abilities and begin to picture themselves in the engineering sector.

Congratulations to our winning teams, and well done to every learner who participated. Every bridge represented an idea put into action and an opportunity to learn.

Watch the accompanying video to see our learners at work. To learn more about iGEMS or explore opportunities to support our education-to-employment journey, visit www.uina.co.za.

iGEMS | Incubating Great Engineering Minds