Engineering is facing a skills shortage, with many young people not able to picture themselves working in the field. SCS JV had the added challenge of historically only hiring senior engineers. It needed to build a future pipeline of engineering talent that would help it to deliver Tunnel Boring Machines for a huge infrastructure project like HS2, but make this unimaginably vast concept personal.

It needed to engage students in a way that made engineering feel tangible, equip parents and teachers to keep that spark alive, and create longevity so impact lasts beyond one classroom visit. The answer was the world’s first, custom-built Lego Tunnel Boring Machine. Using Mecabricks software, SCS JV engineered the model from the ground up, combining 692 individual bricks to simplify and simulate the mechanics of a real TBM. The model is packed with moving cogs, rotating parts and a working inner structure that shows how the real machine operates. In short, it shrunk a piece of world-class engineering into something people can hold, putting the power of innovation right into the hands of students.

In school sessions, students worked as teams to build the Lego, brick by brick, with each stage linked back to the real machines underground. To complement this, WeLove9am created dedicated influencer packs to explain the reality of modern engineering, provide career pathway maps and talking points to keep the conversation going at home. This world-first model embodied the employer brand and brought the world of engineering to life in a way that no leaflet or careers talk ever could.