STEM Learning’s response to the AI Opportunities Action Plan
STEM Learning welcomes the recommendations outlined within the recent AI Opportunities Action Plan and would like to address three points specifically.
1. Expanding education pathways into AI. Investment needs to go beyond higher education and start at much earlier stages of education – all through primary and secondary schools do young people need to be presented with opportunities and inspired to pursue a career in technology and AI. To facilitate this, supporting educators is vital.
During an AI roundtable event organised by STEM Learning in January 2024 that brought together representative from education, government and industry, it was agreed that creating the right conditions for all teachers in learning how to use and experiment with AI responsibly and safely is critical. This will build teachers’ understanding and confidence so they can teach young people about it and apply it to their learning.
2. Ensuring a lifelong skills programme is ready for AI. STEM Learning is proud to have been supporting STEM teachers for over 20 years, delivering high-quality CPD and improving teacher confidence. To ensure UK talent pool continues to grow to support the UK’s ambition of becoming an AI powerhouse, we need to provide greater support around computing qualifications and skills for both teachers and students alike.
Recommendations submitted by STEM for the Curriculum and Assessment Review in 2024 are ambitious and forward-thinking and, if accepted alongside suggestions from other partners, could lay the groundwork for a STEM curriculum that balances academic and vocational pathways, strengthens teacher capability, and ensures education aligns with the demands of a rapidly changing world. A well-designed curriculum is essential to building a future-ready workforce and realising the government’s mission of economic growth.
3. Increasing the diversity of the talent pool. Diversity within the fields of STEM and computing has been a hot topic for decades. We must continue to promote diversity in STEM throughout the education pipeline through tailored interventions such as competitions in schools and engagement with a wide range of industry role models.
Programmes such as I Belong, delivered by STEM Learning as part of the DfE-funded National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE), are designed to ensure that all teachers have training and are equipped with knowledge and skills to inspire more young people from all backgrounds to pursue the study of computer science and other STEM subjects. STEM Learning stands firmly behind such initiatives which align with the government’s approach to breaking down barriers to opportunity.
Industry should also be more involved with young people through sustained, progressive and impactful engagement which STEM Learning helps them to do through the STEM Ambassadors programme. Employers can deepen their engagement through sponsorship of student enrichment activities, and collaborations with experts such as STEM Learning and educators directly.
Severine Trouillet, CEO of STEM Learning, said: “STEM Learning wholeheartedly sees the government’s commitment to supporting more young people through high-quality teacher CPD and other student focused activities – an ambition that we realise in a tangible way.
“However, in light of the recent funding cuts to both science CPD and computing programmes, we want to highlight the vitality of primary and secondary school education to the future of the country as a leader of AI. Teachers are directly interacting and nurturing the future talent, and we at STEM Learning support them to teach both about and with AI by providing high-quality CPD and resources.
“We are looking forward to supporting the implementation of the action plan through our continued delivery of the National Centre for Computing Education and beyond. Our CPD equips teachers with the skills to utilise AI tools to reduce workload and to teach about the use of AI for the betterment of the future. By improving both teacher confidence and skills, we ensure they stay in the profession longer and can support more students.”
STEM Learning is looking forward to the future presented by incorporating the recommendations from the plan into meaningful actions, and to working together with the government and both industry and educational partners to improving lives through STEM education building a talent pipeline in all areas of STEM and technology including AI.
