IF are pleased to announce ‘Engineer the Story with TikTok’, one of 26 Ingenious public engagement award-winning projects that will develop public interest in engineering and provide engineers with new skills.

The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Ingenious awards programme aims to promote creative public engagement. The winning projects motivate engineers to share their stories with wider audiences, in particular with those from diverse and under-represented backgrounds in engineering.

‘Engineer the Story with TikTok’ challenges engineers to use digital storytelling in order to dispel misconceptions about engineering. Ideas Foundation will work with engineers from Queens Mary University of London, King’s College London and other universities, to create micro stories that will spark an interest in engineering amongst young people from diverse backgrounds.

These stories will be shared on platforms such as TikTok, which encourages the creation of educational content with the #LearnonTikTok initiative. 24% of TikTok users were made up of 15-25 year-olds in 2020. TikTok thus provides a platform for engineers to create short-form video content that can inspire and educate young people, who are increasingly using online platforms for career insights.

The engineers will develop storytelling and communication skills that allow them to share their experiences and inspire a future generation of engineers. The project demonstrates the importance of creative skills in STEM subjects like engineering and how they can be used to connect engineers and their work with the public. In turn, this encourages diverse talent pipelines, by reaching and inspiring young people from diverse backgrounds who are currently under-represented in engineering.

Find out more about the Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious Awards