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Meet Inka: the A-level student discovering science isn’t just for scientists

Do you need scientific qualifications to work in science and engineering? It’s an interesting question for young people deciding which path to follow after school and it's encouraging, we hope, to realise that skills can be transferable and career paths non-linear.

On the 30 April and 1 May, Concretene hosted a sixth-form student, Inka, from Sir John Deane’s College in Northwich, Cheshire for a two-day work placement and asked her to outline her thoughts on the experience for this blog:

Inka: I chose this placement to understand how my background as a fine art and English student can be applied to industries outside of the arts, as well as being curious about the inner workings of a start-up, research-based company.

First, I was given an overview of the work that goes on within Concretene and a tour around the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (aka GEIC) at The University of Manchester, including the formulations and materials laboratories for Concretene.

In the formulations lab, I was shown the range of equipment used to make the graphene mixture and analyse it to gain a greater understanding of how concrete can successfully be enhanced with graphene. In the materials lab, I was shown the step-by-step process of the making and testing of graphene-enhanced concrete: from the batching and mixing process, to moulding, curing, storage and then testing for different types of strength and durability.

Throughout, I was given valuable insights into the company by the Head of Communications and Project Management, Alan Beck, who I shadowed during my time at Concretene. I was happy to meet someone with a background in the humanities, so clearly thriving in an environment of science and industry, and enjoyed one-on-one discussions about the company itself as well as Alan’s role within it.

During these meetings, he explained some of the fundamentals of branding - visual, linguistic, tone-of-voice and application - as well as the importance of organic social media to start-up companies with limited marketing budgets. What I learnt from these discussions came into practice when I helped to produce a filmed interview for government funding body Innovate UK, discussing the low-carbon railway sleeper project that Concretene had recently completed at the Global Centre of Rail Excellence in South Wales.

We recorded the interview with company founder Alex McDermott, doing several takes to ensure the footage and wording was perfect. Then, I was shown how Adobe Premiere software is used to edit the clips of the interview with other footage, add in subtitles and use music to uplift the video. This task showed me how necessary and universal art and language skills are to any company, regardless of the industry they are in.

What I noticed most at Concretene was the sense of passion and dedication from everyone I met - a genuine feeling that everyone truly loves the work that they are doing. This company is no doubt going to flourish in the coming years and I look forward to seeing it all happen. I am so grateful for the unique insights and experiences I had with Concretene, as well as the guidance I received as to how my own background as a humanities student could fit into science-based industries in the future.

Want to discover more about how art and science can intersect in the world of innovation? Watch this interview with one of our investors, Saul Klein, who graduated in English Literature, went on to found one of Europe’s leading tech venture capital funds, Phoenix Court, and also advises the UK Prime Minister on science and technology.