Over sixty enthusiastic eleven year olds recently enjoyed an explosive mix of science activities at TDR. Pupils of Oakfield Primary School in Gateshead, they were taking part in their Schools Careers Week organised by Gateshead Council's Education Business Links Service.
As part of their work experience, they visited TDR to learn about what it would be like to be a real Scientist.
Here they met the Science team, donned their lab coats and embarked on a programme of kitchen chemistry, slime-making, bath bombs and exploding volcanoes.
At TDR we are convinced that science offers inspirational career paths for young people. And it is a critical time.
Last year, the number of science students continued to fall in the UK, prompting serious fears that the UK will soon lose its place as a centre of high-tech innovation.
Figures show that, in the past 20 years, the number of students studying physics A-level has fallen by 56%, and the number of chemistry students by 37%. High-tech industries will need 2.4 million new workers by 2014 to fill skills gaps, but last year only 32,000 undergraduates achieved degrees in physics, engineering or technology.
So that's why we are working with the region's primary schools to create a lifetime of curiosity and the habit of scientific discovery