What is an EngineerED Lab?
An EngineerED Lab is a weekly engineering programme where young people design, build and problem‑solve in a calm, supportive environment. Labs can run wherever young people need access to engineering: in community venues, libraries, youth centres, maker spaces, museums, and through home‑education networks. Sessions can take place during the day, in the evenings, at weekends or in the holidays.
Every Lab is built around real tools, real materials and real engineering. Young people work on open‑ended challenges, explore ideas at their own pace and develop confidence through making. The environment is deliberately low‑sensory, predictable and ND‑affirming, led by trained engineering educators who understand how young people learn best.
What Young People Do
Sessions are practical from the moment they walk in. They might build mechanisms, experiment with structures, explore electronics and microcontrollers, or work on robotics and motion. They test ideas, adapt designs, collaborate, communicate and learn to think like engineers. There are no worksheets — just purposeful, hands‑on learning.
Why EngineerED Labs Matter
EngineerED Labs are designed for young people who thrive when learning is physical, creative and calm. Many of our learners are neurodivergent, hands‑on, curious or simply looking for a space where they can explore without pressure. Over time, they build confidence, resilience, problem‑solving skills and a strong sense of engineering identity. These are skills that stay with them long after the project ends.
Who the Labs Are For
EngineerED Labs welcome home‑educated learners, primary and secondary students, mixed‑age groups and young people who may not access traditional STEM clubs. No experience is needed — just curiosity and a willingness to try things out.
How Labs Work
Each Lab has a maximum capacity of 15 young people, but actual numbers depend on staffing. More funding means more staff; more staff means lower ratios; lower ratios mean more young people can take part. The programme grows as the community grows.
Sessions follow a simple, predictable rhythm: a calm welcome, an engineering challenge, time to build and test, a chance to share ideas and a gentle close. The routine helps young people feel safe, settled and ready to explore.
Labs can run at almost any time of the week — weekday mornings for home‑ed groups, after‑school slots, evenings, weekends or extended sessions during holidays. The model adapts to the needs of the community.
Labs thrive in community settings because they are flexible, portable and relationship‑based. We work with home‑education networks, libraries, youth centres, councils, museums and local organisations to bring engineering access to young people who may not otherwise have it.
Our Impact
We measure impact through the things that matter most: engineering hours delivered, confidence gained, skills developed and the sense of belonging young people build over time. Many go on to join STEM clubs, pursue engineering pathways, take up technical hobbies or simply continue creating at home.
As staffing increases, we can run more Labs, support more young people and expand into new communities. The programme is designed to scale sustainably.
How to Host an EngineerED Lab
There are three simple ways to bring a Lab to your community. You can fund it directly, part‑fund it with us, or host a fully funded Lab supported by our Lab Partners. We’ll help you find the option that fits your setting.
Partner with us to Enable more EngineerED Labs
Engineering is one of the UK’s most critical skills shortages. EngineeringUK reports that the country will need over 173,000 additional engineers and technicians every year to meet demand — yet many young people never get the chance to experience engineering in a way that feels accessible, inclusive or meaningful. At the same time, over 788,000 young people are currently NEET, with practical, hands‑on learners disproportionately represented in that group.
EngineerED Labs exist to change that. By providing calm, inclusive, engineering‑led spaces in community venues, libraries, youth centres and home‑education networks, Labs give young people early, sustained exposure to engineering thinking. They build confidence, identity and a sense of possibility — long before post‑16 decisions are made. For funders, this is a direct, measurable way to widen participation, strengthen the future workforce and support young people who are at risk of disengaging from education entirely.