A HIGH-FLYING young scientist who led a team of pupils that designed, built and raced an electric car has won a much sought after engineering apprenticeship with Siemens.

Theo Brace, 16, a former pupil at Red House School in Stockton, won his place because of an unusual school project designed to plug the engineering skills shortage on Teesside.

Theo was part of a national scheme designed by Greenpower, an educational trust set up to encourage more students to pursue careers in engineering.

Theo was appointed designer and head mechanic of the team due to his keen interest and knowledge of the subject, but it was completing the car challenge which made him decide to pursue engineering as a career and apply for 15 different apprenticeships across the region. Theo's mother Lois Brace said: "Theo really enjoyed designing and building the car. He's always been keen on mechanics, taking inspiration from his dad who works as an engineer for Walker's Crisps."

Teesside-based specialist engineering information business, Pearson-Harper, sponsored the school's participation in the project. Their 3,500 sponsorship funded the purchase of parts and tools needed to manufacture the cars, which were raced at Croft Circuit in July.

Michelle Hewitt at Siemens said: "Theo's good predicted grades and interesting extra-curricular activities all helped to win him the place - but the fact that could talk through in detail how he designed and built the electric car was very impressive."

Siemens have offered to educate the teenager to degree level.

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