Future Engineers Shine in Openreach Challenge at Peterborough College

Peterborough College and Openreach have teamed up again to provide Level 3 Engineering students with a unique learning experience – the Openreach Challenge. This year, students tackled a real-world scenario involving damaged telecoms infrastructure in East Anglia caused by severe weather.

The challenge focused on a group of houses experiencing a service outage due to a fallen telegraph pole. Students, working in teams of 2-4, had to devise solutions to restore service temporarily, while also considering safe methods for a permanent fix on a non-climbable pole.

“Work experience is a mandatory requirement for our students, but placements for a large number of students can be challenging to arrange,” says Carl Jones, Assistant Head of Faculty for Engineering at Peterborough College. “The Openreach Challenge provides invaluable hands-on experience with a real-time problem from the telecoms industry.”

The top five presentations were chosen by tutors and presented to Openreach representatives and peers. All teams received insightful feedback, and a winning team was selected.

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The winners took home a prize package including a £200 voucher, their names engraved on the Openreach Challenge trophy, and a framed certificate. Second and third place teams also received vouchers and certificates, and all participants were recognised with digital certificates.

Top performers even received an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Openreach training facility in Peterborough.

This exciting collaboration between Openreach and Peterborough College provides students with a unique opportunity to apply their knowledge to real-world situations, preparing them for successful careers in engineering.