Competition brief
Project title
Environmental Science
Entry requirements
The Environmental Science Competition is aimed at an advanced level of knowledge, equivalent to a Level
3 qualification.
The competitors must have the ability to operate a personal computer and appropriate software; carry out
research using authoritative sources in print and on the Internet; and analyse numerical, graphical and
geographical information. Competitors will be judged on a written report and oral presentation so should be
able to demonstrate excellent levels of literacy, numeracy and communication skills. They must also be
able to apply their scientific knowledge and comprehension to a practical task involving the construction
and testing of a simple device (materials, tools and instructions will be provided).
How many competitors can an organisation enter for the competition?
Each school, college or training organisation can enter up to two teams, with two competitors per team.
Competition structure
Stage one: Register teams online at http://worldskillsuk.apprenticeships.org.uk/ by 22 March 2013.
Stage two: Passive competition: complete online test between 25 March and 15 May 2013.
Stage three: Teams that meet the required standard will be invited to compete at the UK final at the NEC
Birmingham over three days between 13 and 16 November 2013.
NB The organisers reserve the right to hold an additional event or events to select the teams that will go forward to the
UK final if the passive competition stage is inconclusive; teams will be notified as soon as possible after the passive
stage is complete.
Project brief
The environmental science competition is an exciting challenge for young people interested in climate
change, protecting the environment, and the sustainable use of natural resources and energy. The
competition is designed to raise skills and awareness in the science and engineering disciplines for
emerging technologies and industries that will support the growing ‘green economy’. The competition is
particularly aimed at those want to transfer these skills and experience into areas of scientific and technical
research which can be used to solve complex socio-economic issues for the good of the community.
Over the duration of the three day UK final, competitors will:
 Research and analyse scientific and technical information.
 Identify potential technical, political, social and economic conflicts and provide mitigation measures to
resolve issues between “interested parties”.
 Recommend, through a written report and oral presentation to judges, a technically and environmentally
acceptable solution to a specified large-scale problem in a fictitious society. They will need to work
within defined economic, political and social constraints. They may also need to take into account the
impacts on existing infrastructure and any potential threats to the environment and health of the human
population.
The roles associated with the competition
Team members should be adaptable as they will need to take on multiple roles. Successful teams are likely
to include a balance of skills in some or most of the following areas:
 Geographers/Geologists/Environmental Scientists
 Mechanical/Civil Engineers
 Economist/Mathematician
The detail
Passive competition
An online test with multiple-choice question paper and a short essay on an environmental issue.
 The online test will be available from 25 March to 15 May 2013. A link will be sent to all teams
registered.
 The test must be completed as a team and only one entry will be accepted per team.
 The test involves two parts, 25 multiple choice questions and a short essay (up to 800 words) on a
popular environmental science topic. The judges will be looking for a well structured essay that
summarises the issues concisely and suggests innovative solutions where appropriate.
 A declaration form must be signed by your tutor to confirm the team has submitted their own work. The
declaration form can be downloaded from http://worldskillsuk.apprenticeships.org.uk/ and must be
returned to David Bailey at deba@bgs.ac.uk
The deadline for completing the online test and submitting the form is 5 p.m. on 15 May 2013. Any team
that fails to do this will be disqualified from the competition.
UK final
 Research and analyse scientific and technical information, including written, numerical, graphical and
map-based formats.
 Identify potential conflicts within the information provided and recommend measures to resolve or
mitigate differences between various ‘interested parties’.
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Recommend an action plan to address a specified large-scale technical and environmental challenge.
Document the team's decision-making processes and produce a detailed written report.
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Make a formal presentation of the team’s research to the judging panel using appropriate visual aids
(e.g. Powerpoint slides).
Construct a basic device or working model as instructed, using the tools, materials and guidelines
provided.
Present the completed device or model to the judges demonstrating an understanding of the principles
of its operation, limitations and potential improvements to the design.
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Each team will work with the following resources:
 PCs with access to the World Wide Web, Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat software.
 Workstations.
 Basic stationery.
 Selection of relevant scientific and news publications in digital and print formats.
 Equipment and materials required for practical task.
In the UK final, the judges will award marks against the assessment criteria below:
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Practical task
Report Construction and Delivery
Analysis, Understanding and Strategic Thinking
Technical and Innovative Solution
Understanding of Socio-Economic issues
Teamwork
Communication
(maximum 10 marks)
(maximum 10 marks)
(maximum 20 marks)
(maximum 20 marks)
(maximum 15 marks)
(maximum 15 marks)
(maximum 10 marks)
Marking and assessment
This is a ‘mixed’ competition, with assessment based mainly on defined subjective criteria with some
objective criteria.
Objective marking involves the candidate meeting strict criteria which can be assessed against a 'yes' or
'no' outcome.
Subjective marking is based on the judges’ expert opinions and is marked from 1 to 10.
Points awarded (Subjective):
Perfect
10 points
Very good
9 points
Good
8 points
Fairly good
7 points
Sufficient
6 points
Average
5 points
Poor
4 points
Unsatisfactory 3 points
Very bad
2 points
Nothing
0 points
Competitors will be assessed by the following methods:
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Observed while completing the competition (subjective).
Assessment of their written report (objective/subjective).
Assessment of their final presentation (subjective).
A practical task (objective/subjective).
The competition will be judged by a panel of three industry experts. The judges’ decisions will be
independently moderated and quality assured prior to confirmation. Judges’ individual marks will be
recorded and a final mark awarded for each criterion based on an average of the individual marks.
To allow judges to assess all of the criteria comprehensively and to ensure marking is efficient, the
competition judging will take place continuously over the three days of the competition.
Teams will be assessed on the broad allocation of marks shown below.
Criterion ID
A
B
Criterion Description
Construction and testing
Compilation and delivery of report
Weighting
1
1
Max Marks
10
10
C
D
E
F
G
Analysis, understanding and strategic thinking
Technical and innovative solution
Understanding of socio-economic issues
Teamwork
Communication
2
2
1.5
1.5
1
20
20
15
15
10
Contact details
For technical advice about the competition contact:
Phone:
David Bailey (0115 9363395)
Email:
deba@bgs.ac.uk or esc@prospect.org.uk
For general information about competitions please contact the WorldSkills UK contact centre:
Free phone: 0800 612 0742
Email: enquiries@worldskillsuk.org
Web: http://worldskillsuk.apprenticeships.org.uk/
Competition rules
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There will be a familiarisation period with equipment and information. During this period, competitors
may ask questions regarding the competition format and schedule. Competitors are NOT allowed to ask
the judges or scrutineers questions once the familiarisation period is over.
Competitors are to use ONLY the PCs, software and equipment provided by the competition organisers.
No personal electronics, mobile phones, laptops or any other devices are allowed to be taken in to the
competition area.
Competitors are only able to discuss research material and ideas within their own team.
Competitors are not allowed to converse with other teams.
No material is allowed to be removed from the competition area unless specified.
All work must be completed within the allotted competition time frame. If competitors fail to do so 5
points will be deducted from their overall mark
Competitors wishing to leave the competition area during designated work periods must obtain the
permission of the judges or nominated competition personnel. The judges should make a formal note of
who has left the area and the duration of their absence.
Closed shoes to be worn throughout the competition.
Tutors or other supervisors from the competitors' organisations must remove themselves from the
competition area at all times while the competition is in progress.
Competition partners
This competition is managed by Prospect in association with the British Geological Survey, Semta, TTF,
unionlearn, and National Skills Academy for Power.
Relevant links
http://worldskillsuk.apprenticeships.org.uk/