Secondary school engineering initiative
Not-for-profit partnership aims to remove engagement barriers with STEM across the UK.
Designed to improve secondary school students’ access to STEM learning and careers, particularly between Year 7 and Year 11, the five-year partnership is between EngineeringUK and City & Guilds Foundation.
The initiative will provide multi-year bursaries and expert support for schools to empower them to shift towards an embedded and sustained culture of STEM engagement, as well as tracking its impact on students’ attainment.
EngineeringUK’s Head of Evaluation and Impact, Amanda Aldercotte, says, ‘By targeting diverse demographics, we will be able to reach students from disadvantaged backgrounds and those groups typically underrepresented in the engineering and technology sector.’
Polly Rowe, Head of Foundation Programmes and Engagement at City & Guilds Foundation, adds, ‘Inspiring children to engage with STEM activities during secondary education will improve academic outcomes and unlock life-changing opportunities, while helping to address the acute skills shortage in the UK STEM sector.’
Examples of STEM activities that might be included in the initiative are exploration projects or workshops, enhanced resources, extracurricular clubs, career information and case studies from industry professionals, and school trips to relevant events such as The Big Bang Fair.
Classes might also incorporate participation in nationwide initiatives like EngineeringUK’s Tomorrow’s Engineers Week, which this year takes place in the week of 10-14 November.
Across the five years, the education choices of participating students will be monitored and compared with those in schools not supported by the partnership, to inform how schools and funding can continue to foster STEM engagement within curriculums and provide career opportunities in future.
