A SERIES of design and technology workshops are being run for South Wales teachers to help them inspire the great inventors of tomorrow.

Aimed at helping teachers overcome the anxiety they feel about tackling modern D&T as a classroom subject, the workshops fall in line with the Wales regional technology plan (RTP), one of the aims of which is to increase the innovative capacity of the Welsh economy by helping companies to compete on a global basis through the development of new ideas.

The training sessions, held at Oxford House, Risca, are running alongside this year's 3M Primary Innovation Awards, which aim to enthuse young children at the earliest age to learn more about design, technology and engineering.

The workshops are sponsored by manufacturing company 3M, the WDA and Education and Learning Wales (ELWa).

Kelly Fear, a teacher at Ystrad Mynach Junior School, says the workshops provide a great opportunity for swapping ideas and sharing good practice, as well as picking up new skills.

"D&T is a subject many teachers are afraid of and workshops such as these help build up confidence," she said. "I've gained a number of useful tips, particularly where electronics is concerned, that will help me with classroom projects."

Helen James, product engineer with 3M, says that creative energy is vital for a company like hers. "We manufacture 50,000 products and we are always developing new lines," she explained. "I feel it's important to capture the imagination of youngsters as soon as possible and to help them develop their skills in this area."

Last year's 3M Primary Innovation Awards brought in entries from more than 100 schools with ingenious designs to serve a myriad of uses. The winner was Llangewydd Junior School, in Bridgend, with road safety flags to make pupils visible on their way to school.

The 2002 awards are organised by William Battle Associates and the closing date for entries is June 1. The winners will be announced at the grand final in Cardiff on July 15. 3M is a £16 billion technology company with leading positions in electronics, telecommunications, industrial, consumer and office, health care, safety and other markets.

*PICTURED: Kelly Fear gets to grips with an electric buggy that incorporates a simple worm drive, subject of one of the sessions at the 3M teachers' workshop in Risca.