More than 600 children and parents got the chance to go behind the scenes of a Gloucestershire engineering firm.

Renishaw opened their doors of their site at New Mills, Kingswood, for Engineering Open House Day on Friday, August 3.

The event, organised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) sees more than 30 companies and organisations open their doors to children to showcase careers in engineering.

Visitors to Renishaw got a tour around the product demonstration area, a chance to try the energy bike and make a homopolar motor and the opportunity to learn about 3D printers.

“With 2018 officially declared the Year of Engineering, there’s never been a better time to engage with and inspire children and parents to help them better understand how exciting and diverse a career in engineering can be,” said Nigel Fine, IET Chief Executive.

“The research highlights a knowledge gap about the engineering profession, so it’s important that we continue to work together and change these outdated views of what engineering is perceived to be," he added.

Research from the IET shows a lack of understanding about the engineering industry.

The majority (93 per cent) of parents claim to know what an engineer is, yet, when pressed further, less than a quarter feel very confident in describing what an engineer actually does (23 per cent). In contrast, parents felt very comfortable with describing what a teacher (64 per cent), nurse (62 per cent) and police officer (60 per cent) does as a profession.

Last year’s Engineering Open House Day featured 39 separate events and saw more than 3,000 parents and children attend.