STEM activities (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths)
By exposing students to STEM and giving them opportunities to explore STEM-related concepts, businesses are supporting young people to develop their passions and understand how this can be applied to a career.
STEM education is increasing in popularity and more schools are implementing STEM learning into their curriculum and making it an integral part of their delivery.
STEM talks and/or workshops provide students with that important opportunity to spend time gaining an insight into a specific business sector , the career opportunities in STEM and the pathways available, for example; Engineering/ Construction, Healthcare/Science, Technology/IT, Finance.
An employer talk lasts normally around 15 minutes and can be to either a whole year group assembly or a smaller group of targeted students.
Schools may choose to have more in depth workshops for smaller groups of students (maximum class size of 30) these sector workshops will normally be 45-60 minutes long and are more interactive, ideally starting with a brief talk or presentation followed by a ‘hands on’ activity which gives the students the opportunity to complete inspiring, practical challenges.
The aim of STEM activities are to:
- foster ingenuity and creativity
- encourage tech use
- teach problem-solving
- build resilience
- encourage experimentation
- encourage teamwork
- encourage knowledge application
- encourage adaption
- grow STEM passions
Females into STEM
These talks can be particularly beneficially when aimed at non-traditional entrants to STEM careers. For instance, traditionally many females do not consider entering high technology business sectors, even though they have the skills and qualities that are desired.
Offering Females into STEM workshops aims to address this by giving females the opportunity to experience the types of roles that are available in the sector, raising self-confidence and awareness of career opportunities as well as significantly raising female students’ aspirations.