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CSA Catapult interns inspire over 500 future engineers at Cardiff Science Festival 2025

Date: 12.03.2025

Topics: Skills

Child at Cardiff Science Festival 2025, wearing a virtual reality headset, holds a VR controller in front of an interactive display board. - CSA Catapult

Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult attended Cardiff Science Festival for the fifth year last week to help inspire young people and their parents about exciting careers in engineering. 

CSA Catapult’s current UK Electronic Skills Foundation scholars showed students how to build circuits and explained how important they are for smartphones, electric cars and many other technologies.  

Attendees also used CSA Catapult’s headsets to explore virtual reality, where they were introduced to compound semiconductors and learned about the key role they play in everyday technology.  

Children engaged in a craft activity at the Cardiff Science Festival 2025, supervised by an adult in a patterned coat. - CSA Catapult

Throughout the day, CSA Catapult’s interns spoke to children and parents about the benefits of compound semiconductors and how they are helping to build secure Future Telecoms and to achieve Net Zero.  

The interns also gave insights into careers within engineering and highlighted the many career pathways in South Wales and across the UK.  

 

At Cardiff Science Festival 2025, a woman and child craft with colorful paper pieces at their table. - CSA Catapult

Cardiff Science Festival is one of a number of initiatives supported by CSA Catapult’s Skills Academy. 

The ethos of the Skills Academy is “you can’t be, what you can’t see”. Supporting outreach activities like Cardiff Science Festival enables CSA Catapult’s Skills Academy to foster early engagement with learners who have an interest in STEM and inspire the next generation of engineers.  

“Meeting the parents and children at Be a Scientist! was great. Everyone was friendly, interested and easy to talk to. 

Seeing how excited and engaged the children were, was amazing. They got straight into it and learned the activities quickly.   

Having the opportunity to take part in outreach activities like this one enables me to spark the interest of, inspire and influence, future generations of scientist and engineers, which is truly is rewarding.”  

Asad Adil, advanced packaging intern at CSA Catapult

“It was great to meet the kids and guide them through the activities. My favourite part of the day was seeing the children realise the fan on the snap circuit flew off if you put the motor the wrong way. They started adding battery packs to the circuits to see how high the fan could go. 

 “Events like these mean you get to see people’s excitement as you explain activities and technology they might not have heard about before. That’s always satisfying.” 

Osian Jones, photonics intern at CSA Catapult

“Engaging with young people, their parents and caregivers from our local region is an important way for us to give something back.  

“We can highlight all the cool jobs that science can lead to. It gives us the opportunity to speak about the sector, and how critical it is in the modern world – it is always lovely to see their faces when we tell them that all this great technology is made possible by the companies who are located right on their doorstep.” 

Alex Leadley, Skills Academy manager at CSA Catapult

“Now in its third year, Be a Scientist! aims to showcase all the ways science impacts our lives, champion diverse sciences and that anyone can be a scientist if they want to be.

“CSA Catapult have been an important presence each year. The team always bring interesting and interactive content for family units to explore and balance a busy environment with good engagement skills.

“We appreciate CSA Catapult’s commitment to these events, supporting future generations as they explore technology as well as giving back to the local community.”

Susan Monkton, public engagement and civic mission officer at Cardiff University

Four people stand before
Children and an adult are crafting at a table, honing their skills like those nurtured at the CSA Catapult Skills Academy. - CSA Catapult
An adult and child engage in a crafting activity at a CSA Skills Academy table filled with colored paper and craft materials. - CSA Catapult
A child wearing a visor engages with a woman in a CSA classroom, while others practice skills at tables in the background. - CSA Catapult
A child at the CSA Catapult Skills Academy table at Be A Scientist explores electronics on a purple tablecloth, surrounded by components and guides. - CSA Catapult
At the Science Festival, a child dons a VR headset, guided by an adult, while others watch near vibrant posters. - CSA Catapult
At Cardiff Science Festival 2025, a woman and child craft with colorful paper pieces at their table. - CSA Catapult
Child at Cardiff Science Festival 2025, wearing a virtual reality headset, holds a VR controller in front of an interactive display board. - CSA Catapult
At the Cardiff Science Festival 2025, a young girl with braided hair dons a VR headset, controller in hand amidst the crowd. - CSA Catapult
A girl with braided hair wears a VR headset at Cardiff Science Festival 2025, facing right in a room with blurred figures. - CSA Catapult
Children engaged in a craft activity at the Cardiff Science Festival 2025, supervised by an adult in a patterned coat. - CSA Catapult