Largest mobile truck in Europe teaches Bury St Edmunds' future scientists and engineers about STEM professions

Europe’s largest movable truck, weighing 35 tonnes, pulled up in West Suffolk College on Wednesday, before spending the day introducing students to a career in the engineering and science field.

The £1 million vehicle, named Titan II, contains numerous hands-on activities for students to engage with, while also showcasing science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) learning tools.

Amrit Poonia, key account manager and regional co-ordinator of the truck, said: “It’s about having an opportunity to understand engineering and getting ready for the working world.”

The truck tours businesses and colleges around the country, helping to fuel students’ interest in STEM professions while offering them the chance to connect with businesses in those fields.

Nadine Payne, director of STEM partnerships at West Suffolk College, helped bring the truck to the college as a way to get students talking about STEM careers and to give them a deeper understanding of what they entail. She said: “If they don’t have a parent in a STEM profession, it’s difficult for students to know exactly what these careers are.”

The truck’s arrival at the college is part of a myriad of measures introduced by STEM Innovation Campus, which aims to get students thinking about careers at an earlier stage.

There is also a science festival and a community day every July, along with robotics being brought into the classroom and a wider outreach plan allowing students to visit the campus to learn about STEM careers.