Paul McKnight

Head of Operations (Europe), VEX Robotics

Bio:

Paul has been responsible for the VEX Robotics brand since its UK launch in 2012. The launch of the VEX IQ platform in 2015, aimed at Key Stages 2 and 3, has seen awareness and adoption of the platform grow further with VEX embedded in education from Year 3 right through to University. VEX Robotics, the worlds leading educational robotics company, is committed to developing free STEM curriculum to allow teachers to engage students through robotics.

Overseeing the development of partnerships with organisations and companies such as EngineeringUK, The Royal Academy of Engineering, STEM Learning, The Design & Technology Association, Rapid Education & National Grid; the VEX brand has grown into a recognised and trusted platform for engaging students in STEM activities and adopted for the teaching of Design & Technology.

Paul is passionate about engaging students in open-ended, design-based challenges and curriculum, encouraging innovative thinking and guiding students towards STEM related careers. Paul has also been a driving force behind The Girls into STEM initiative with National Grid, is an advisory member of the Girl Powered initiative and supports the use of VEX Robotics in WorldSkillsUK and WorldSkills International competitions.

Paul says

“Students need to engage with projects they are involved in as the world is becoming increasingly abstract for most young people. What VEX uniquely provides is the ability for children to turn concepts, such as control systems and engineering interconnections into something physical, and then quickly test them to see if their hypotheses stand up. If it doesn’t, the ability to quickly iterate their design and re-evaluate is simple, and these are real-world engineering principles and processes brought to life. This is what Design & Technology should be and I am committed to working with the Association so students, universities and employers see its relevance again.“

Links

Information on the VEX Robotics products can be found on the website - www.vexrobotics.com

VEX Robotics is, and always has been, committed to the development and support of teachers with free curriculum (www.vexcurriculum.co.uk) and free CPD (http://stem.org.uk/ty706) 

The extra-curricular VEX Robotics Competition, the worlds largest and fastest growing middle and high school robotics competition, has seen thousands of UK students compete at events across the UK developing key transferable and academic skills. Dozens of students have gone on to compete on the world stage at the VEX Robotics World Championships in the United States. Information on getting involved can be found here - https://www.vexrobotics.com/competition