This week marks the first anniversary of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, launched to boost the productivity and earning power of people throughout the UK.
As the demand for STEM skills in the UK has reached a critical point, business and education must work together to support Government by investing in the workforce of the future: raising young people’s skills, aspiration and knowledge of STEM careers.
As the number 1 provider of STEM support to schools and colleges in the UK, we are proud to play a pivotal role in bringing business and education together to inspire the future generation of STEM employees. Thanks to the continued generosity of our key industry partners, including Rolls-Royce, BP and Lloyd’s Register Foundation, we can make our vision of a world-leading STEM education for all young people across the UK a reality.
Together these companies help fund Project ENTHUSE - a unique partnership of government, charities and employers that have come together to bring about inspired STEM teaching through the professional development of teachers and technicians and support staff across the UK.
Paul Broadhead, Head of Community Investment & Education Outreach at Rolls-Royce said:
“Teachers are the single most important differentiator in a young person’s educational outcome. Great teachers in STEM are key to inspiring a future generation of pioneers in engineering and technology and hence critical to Rolls-Royce, its customers, supply chain and wider society. We are therefore thrilled to announce our continued support for Project ENTHUSE.”
Addressing the Grand Challenges
STEM Learning can also announce it has been awarded £162,000 from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to inspire young people and those who influence them to focus on the global trends that will transform their future lives, addressing the Grand Challenges highlighted in the Government’s Industrial Strategy.
The Grand Challenges – Our Futures programme aims to increase awareness of the important role the Grand Challenge themes will play in people’s everyday lives and the UK economy. This programme will improve knowledge of future career opportunities, what STEM skills are needed and how young people gain those skills.
The programme will deliver 40 STEM Insight placements to give teachers, careers leads and enterprise co-ordinators the opportunity to experience STEM-related work in industry or university settings.
In addition, STEM Ambassadors, a UK wide network of over 30,000 volunteers from STEM employers, will deliver Grand Challenge themed activities to young people. New learning materials based on the four Grand Challenge themes will support STEM Ambassadors to deliver activities designed to increase understanding of Grand Challenges and future career opportunities.
Yvonne Baker, Chief Executive at STEM Learning said:
"We are delighted to play a part in the Grand Challenges... and to be a key partner in delivering the government’s Industrial Strategy. STEM Learning is ideally placed to provide the support needed to improve the quality of teaching which in turn inspires young people to pursue careers in STEM subjects, thereby bridging the skills gap."