School-science competition the Bright Spark Awards could fast-track entrants to careers with one of the UK’s biggest manufacturers.

Awards judging organisation BAE Systems says it hopes entrants will take part in the defence, security and aerospace business’s apprenticeship, graduate or work-experience schemes.

BAE Systems mechanical engineering manager Ian Hoare said the company was “really proud” to be supporting the Bright Spark Awards.

He added: “It’s a really great opportunity for us to see young, innovative people’s work in terms of science, maths, engineering and technology.

“We see Bright Spark as a great opportunity to meet new people and potentially have them join us on our apprentice schemes or through some of the summer placements or graduate schemes we do.”

The awards encourage teams of pupils to use cross-curricular skills in science, technical, engineering and maths (Stem) subjects in practical projects.

They are open to primary and secondary schools, and have three categories: innovation, investigation and invention.

To enter, schools need to register details of their online before the May 31 deadline.

In previous years, projects including designing a prototype first-aid drone and investigating the impact of biodiversity on mental health and well-being.

Shortlisted teams will present their work at a Dragons’ Den-style awards ceremony at fellow Bright Spark judge Discovery Park.

The other judges are Atkins Global, Megger, the ITL Group, EduKit, Highways England, Pfizer, Kent Renewable Energy and Golding Vision.

Find out more and register projects at kmcharityteam.co.uk/brightspark. And watch a video in which Mr Hoare talks about the awards here: