Life in the fast lane

11th June 2015

Barking & Dagenham College students got the chance to hear about the motorsport industry thanks to a visit from Birmingham City University and Aquila Race Cars.

The event gave the students, who are all studying motorsport or motor vehicle maintenance at the College, the chance to hear from representatives of the University about the careers that the students could get into. In addition, the students were joined by Aquila Race Cars.

The company is famed for building a variety of race cars which are used in major race championships, costing over £125,000, which compete against the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini. As a result, not only did the students get to hear about motorsport, they got to see and sit in a race car too!

It is race cars like this that motorsport engineering students at the University frequently work with as part of the course, and the University was keen to showcase what life as a university student and a career in motorsport could be like.

Dan Suenson, the founder of Aquila Cars, and a lecturer at Birmingham City University, told students:

“I’ve been interested in cars since I was nine. One piece of advice that I would give to those interested in motorsport is that you need to demonstrate commitment to the field and be patient – this is your route to success.”

Parmjit Chima, Head of the School of Engineering at Birmingham City University talked about the range of career options including the less well known but in-demand opportunities that the students may not have looked into before. Commenting that there are many routes into the industry, Parmjit said:

“CAD design for example is an alluring and necessary part of motorsport and salaries start at £35,000.”

Barking & Dagenham College student Oakley Dielhenn, 16, from Dagenham who is studying motor vehicle maintenance commented:

“The event was really informative and motivating. It’s certainly opened up new doors for me, for when I consider studying at university.”