TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT EngineeringUK Partnership
IHEEM TO SHOWCASE ITS WORK WITH STUDENTS AT THE 2025 BIG BANG FAIR AT THE NEC BIRMINGHAM
STEM outreach and engagement are vital if we are to address the sector’s critical skills and labour shortages, writes Susi Farnworth, Head of EDI at STEM charity, EngineeringUK.
Engineering is a critical industry, employing 6.3 million people in the UK. With jobs in engineering and technology predicted to grow in all UK regions faster than any other occupation between now and 2030 (according to EngineeringUK’s Inspiring Futures Together report), addressing the skills shortages will require sustained efforts from both the public and private sectors. Attracting more young people – from all
backgrounds – is vital to create the diverse workforce of tomorrow. STEM subjects are popular in schools, but engineering barely features on the curriculum, and take-up of design and technology has declined. A report by organisations including the Design Council and the Design & Technology Association, A Blueprint for Renewal: Design and Technology Education,
found that about 20% of schools in England and Wales do not teach the subject, and that the number of pupils taking D&T (Design and Technology) at GCSE level has fallen by 68% in the last decade. D&T was a compulsory GCSE subject until 2000. On a more positive note, D&T GCSE is undergoing much-needed changes as part of the Curriculum and Assessment Review led by Professor Becky Francis CBE, an expert in education policy, including curriculum and social inequality. The focus is expected to be on a broader, more integrated approach, emphasising real-world applications, sustainability, and technological advancements, as well as increased emphasis on digital design and manufacturing techniques. The 8-week curriculum consultation opened
at the end of September, and the views of experts, parents, and teachers, will be key for making recommendations.
Why STEM outreach and engagement are important
EngineeringUK, the STEM charity I work for, and its new brand, EUK Education offering inspiring STEM resources and activities for STEM teachers and career leaders, drive change so that more young people are inspired by, and aware of, opportunities and careers in engineering and technology. The role of EngineeringUK is to drive change (see press release dated 23 April 2024, ‘Concerns for future workforce as girls turn off from engineering and science’) – so that more young people choose engineering and technology careers. Unfortunately, there is still the misconception among many young people that engineering is only ‘hard hats and hi-vis jackets’. Sure, some of it is, but it’s a very broad sector, as we know. EngineeringUK works with hundreds of organisations, so that, collectively, we can inspire young people about the many varied roles in engineering and technology and grow a diverse future talent pool. STEM outreach plays a huge role in making this a reality.
EngineeringUK’s STEM outreach work includes many school programmes – from our Climate Schools Programme and our annual campaign, Tomorrow’s Engineers Week in November, to our flagship event, The Big Bang Fair, the UK’s largest free celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for schools. Over three days at Birmingham’s NEC in June each year, The Big Bang Fair, hosted
10 Health Estate Journal November 2024
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