Evaluation Report for

The STEM Careers Module

Produced for The National HE STEM Programme

Dr Richard Watermeyer

Cardiff School of Social Sciences

July 2012

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Contents

1. Preamble p. 3

2. Evaluation framework p. 3

3. Context of STEM careers guidance in the UK p. 3

4. Approach p. 5

5. Results: p. 6

5.1 Overview p. 6

5.2 Quality of instruction and teaching materials (training days) p. 6

5.3 Quality of online tuition p. 7

5.4 Supervision and communication p. 7

5.5 Challenges p. 7

5.6 Impact p. 7

5.7 Room for improvement p. 8

5.8 Participants’ soundbites: Training Day 1 January 19th 2012 p. 8

5.9 Themes: Training Day March 22nd 2012 p. 11

6. Stakeholder accounts p. 13

7. Final observations p. 14

8. Recommendations p. 15

9. The future p. 16

Appendix p. 17

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1. Preamble

1.1 Evaluation of the National HE STEM Programme and the production of evaluation

reports (interim and final) has been undertaken by Dr Richard Watermeyer, herein

‘the evaluator’, of Cardiff University School of Social Sciences, as a consequence of

commission by the National HE STEM Programme. This is the final evaluation report.

2. Evaluation framework

2.1 Evaluation comprised a mixed-method approach combining qualitative and

quantitative methodology to elicit the relative strengths and weaknesses in the

design and delivery of the Careers Module and to inform recommendations for

future consideration/implementation.

2.2 In total, evaluative data was collected via ethnographic observation of one of the

face-to-face training days; via exit-poll questionnaires (n=2) and online surveys (n=2);

interviews with course sponsors and delivery team (n=5); interrogation of online

materials by the evaluator. 100% of the students completed exit-poll questionnaires,

the first being distributed online, subsequent to the first face-to-face (f2f) training

day, the second distributed and collected at the end of the second f2f day. The two

online surveys shared the exact same completion rate of 60%.

2.3 The evaluator is still in the process of arranging interviews with other, external

stakeholder groups, such as those at Glamorgan University, where the course has

received accreditation, to determine the success of the module and terms of its

outcomes, such as lessons-learned, and by way of legacy and future application.

3. Context of STEM Careers Guidance in the UK

3.1 Various recent reports (OECD 2003; Garnham 2010; Holman & Finegold 2010;

Silver 2010) point to the significance of credible STEM career guidance and reliable

STEM careers information in facilitating an opportunity of choice for learners

considering their occupational futures. The majority of these reports comment on a

growing instability and unsustainability of the careers guidance profession in the UK.

In England, the main agency for careers guidance, Connexions has undergone

significant downscaling, leaving little beyond a skeleton service premised on ‘. . . new

access arrangements which will see more services available online’ and removed

from face-to-face types of interactions between learners and careers experts –

considered to be integral to learners’ decision making and future choice. In Wales,

the careers guidance landscape suffers from similarly bleak prospects, with the

future of the principal guidance service, Careers Wales, uncertain. Nevertheless, an

emphasis on providing learners with the best possible resources, mobilizing their

STEM subject and occupational trajectories is writ large within a UK and devolved

policy for STEM, such as Science for Wales (2012) and in reports such as the Gatsby

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Foundation’s, STEM Careers Review (2010), the latter advocating investment in what

Silver 2010 termed the ‘professionalisation of careers professionals’. Indeed, point

four of the Gatsby Careers Review’s fifteen recommendations for the careers

guidance profession states:

Careers professional need to be well informed about careers available to people with STEM qualifications and skills, and familiar with the sources of information about such careers. The National STEM Centre, with the support from the STEM community and independent funders, should produce a high quality STEM careers training module (comprising both online and face-to-face support) designed for use in the initial and in-service training of careers professionals. (Holman & Finegold 2010: 6)

3.2 The National HE STEM sponsored Careers Module is in many respects a direct response to this recommendation. The findings in this evaluation report however confirm the prevalence of tensions between a community of careers advisors and STEM teachers with responsibilities for STEM careers guidance, in a state of disconnection and uncertainty exacerbated by dwindling and disappearing budgets, and the preponderance of policy-talk, promulgating the importance of careers advice in STEM. 3.3 There are vast swathes of information in STEM careers advice and guidance, yet

these are mainly online and unknown to many responsible either directly or in an

adjunct capacity for advising students on careers progression in STEM domains.

3.4 There are questions marks in terms of the quality of signposting to these

information repositories and the extent to which learners themselves are able to

access these. This is compounded by an overall dearth of specialist expertise in STEM

subject/occupational domains among careers advisors and concurrently a lack of

careers-guidance skilling among teacher cohorts. A common depiction of STEM

careers advice was as ‘generally desperately poor’ and/or ‘a disaster area’,

exacerbated by ‘low levels of understanding of how science is involved in industry

and changes in STEM industries’.

3.5 The Careers Module consequently sought to provide an instructional bridge

between a space of online learning and static knowledge and knowledge brokered

and in part translated via face-to-face training days.

3.6 Much of the contemporary landscape for careers advice in STEM is in a state of

decline and/or erosion with significant budget cuts, most emphatically evidenced

with the dissolution of connexions. STEM guidance has furthermore been historically

hampered by the siloing of teachers and careers advisors, working in isolation and in

unconnected ways.

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3.7 One interviewee commented that the future success of careers advice in STEM is

contingent upon a more fluid and fluent dialogue and interactivity between the two

communities. Part then of the rationale for the Careers Module was in providing a

space for collapsing occupational barriers, and infusing both groups with a more

crystalline sense of each other’s professional anatomy and working practices.

Through a meeting of minds and ways, the course providers envisaged a more

sympathetic, informed, supportive and profitable interactions. An issue for teachers

is a lack of awareness of what goes on beyond their subject. Professional careers

advice however is enervated by a lack of knowledge of classroom practice and

curriculum.

4. Approach

4.1 In the context of a political rhetoric and mandate demanding improvements in

the delivery of STEM career guidance, course sponsors identified a disconnect

between a plethora of information and information repositories in STEM , mainly

located in online domains, and an awareness and an ability to access these on the

part of STEM teachers/career advisors. In an effort to plug this gap, sponsors sought

to develop an assessment-based module which would serve as:

- an information gateway, linking teachers/career advisors with STEM careers

resources

- a space of shared learning between STEM teachers and career advisors, as two

communities historically working in silo, and the building of a co-operative interface,

enriching the provision of STEM advice to learners and the materialisation of a

community of practice in STEM careers advice

-a method of continuous professional development, enhancing the knowledge

repertoires and skill sets of STEM teachers and careers advisors – in the former’s

case providing a means to integrate careers advice in the context of curriculum

- a means of elucidation highlighting the breadth of existing and emergent STEM

careers and types of STEM employer

- a brokerage mechanism facilitating dialogue between STEM teachers/career

advisors and STEM employers

4.2 Course sponsors set about recruiting the expertise of Dr Pat Morton (Sheffield

Hallam) and Claire Nix (Babcock International) both of whom had previous, central

experience of a DfES funded programme in the provision of STEM career guidance.

Much of the knowledge generated from this programme underpinned the

development and delivery of the careers module.

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4.3 A unique and essential aspect of the module was a prioritisation in face-to-face

training and the role of the delivery team as mentors, guiding participants’

development.

4.4 All students were provided with a participant handbook which provided a wealth

of general and specific information. The handbook included key essentials such as

tutor’s contact details; key dates, times, locations; an advanced agenda for both

training days; links to online information; estimation of work-load time commitment,

aims, objectives and aspirational outcomes; guidance on portfolio content and

assessment; a rationale for the course; and a comprehensive reading list including

links to career theory, reports and research in STEM and the URLs of key websites.

5. Results

5.1 Overview

5.1.1 The Careers Module pilot has been a resounding success. The quality of

instruction and instructional materials has been deemed to be of a very high

standard and of genuine benefit to the student cohort, who have been appropriately

challenged and whose understanding of STEM careers and ability to advise on such

matters has been seen to greatly improve. There a few issues in terms of

communication/dissemination and the sequencing of course aspects/events which

could benefit from revision or calibration. These however are marginal or low-impact

issues which would require little in the way of modification to correct.

5.1.2 Of a total of twenty-four students enrolled on the module, eighteen completed

all aspects of the course and submitted a portfolio of work for examination; yielding

a high completion rate of 75%. While assessors judged there to be some variation in

the quality of students’ outputs the majority of submitted work was seen to be of a

high standard.

5.2 Quality of instruction and teaching materials (training days)

5.2.1 Students reflected in the online survey that the quality of instruction and the

course materials were of a high to very high standard:

- Information provided by session leaders was considered by respondents

to be useful, clear, relevant and fit for purpose.

- Instruction provided within training days 1 and 2 was considered by 64%

of respondents to be ‘good’, with 36% claiming ‘very good’.

- The quality of teaching materials used in training days 1 and 2 were

considered by 54% of respondents to be good, with 46% claiming ‘very

good’.

- 58% of respondents felt the training days were very useful, with 42%

claiming ‘useful’

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5.2.2 Students considered the training days to be an essential aspect of the module,

though recommended that an additional day be allocated in the future; a view

shared by the delivery team.

5.2.3 A resounding 83% of respondents strongly agreed with the statement: Face-to-

face training days are an indispensable part of the Careers Module.

5.3 Quality of online tuition

- 57% of respondents rated the quality of the Careers Module’s online

tuition as good, with 43% claiming very good.

- 100% of respondents claimed that the online dimension of the Careers

Module was easy to use; well designed; well linked to the offline

components of the course; contained sufficient information and guidance;

contained relevant information.

- 92% of respondents claimed that the online dimension of the Careers

Module was an effective way to learn.

- 71% of respondents claimed that the online dimension of the Careers

Module was an efficient way to learn.

- Some among the respondents however complained of being slightly

overawed by an abundance or overload of information and an

underestimation of completion time.

5.4 Supervision and communication

5.4.1 The majority of students reflected that their learning needs had been

sufficiently supported throughout the duration of the Careers Module. Issues of

(ongoing) communication were however reported by both students and the delivery

team. Both online communication and personal contact outwith the training days

was reported, by both parties, as minimal. A third training or dissemination days was

recommended as a means of circumventing a communication black-out of fall-off;

reinforce learners’ scaffolding; and pre-empt attrition and non-completion.

5.5 Challenges

5.5.1 The majority of students stated being able to manage the demands of the

module. A few however reported issues of time, time-management and difficulties

of competing/conflicting demands of work-based activities, curtailing their ability to

complete all aspects of the module.

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5.6 Impact

5.6.1 An overwhelming majority of students, ninety-two per cent, felt that the

Careers Module had improved their capacity to provide expert advice on STEM

careers.

5.6.2 All (100%) of the students claimed that the Careers Module has improved their

understanding and awareness of the variety of career pathways in STEM.

5.6.3 All (100%) of the students claimed that they would recommend the Careers

Module to other teachers and careers-advisors.

5.7 Room for improvement

5.7.1 Students reflected that the Careers Module could be improved through:

- Increased practice-based activities/guidance on the application of

theories

- Increased or more flexible time-frames for the completion of portfolio

work/synchronization with school timetables and workload peaks.

- Increased face-to-face time and one-to-one contact between students

and delivery-team

- Making course materials bespoke for student types i.e teachers and

careers’ advisors, respectively

5.8 Participants’ soundbites: Training Day 1 January 19th 2012

1) Q. Have your experiences of the day matched or bettered your expectations?

- Participants generally felt that the course had lived up to or exceeded

their expectations. One suggestion for the delivery team was for an

increased allocation of time on participants getting acquainted and

networking. This may be seen a key reason behind the relative paucity of

the module’s online interaction:

“I had plenty of opportunities to clear up any queries or questions I had. In terms of the content, it was a shame not to have the chance to get to know the other delegates better, especially since I believe that mutual support via the online forum is going to play a key role in developing our knowledge and confidence around STEM. Something in small groups or even one-to-one that encouraged us to talk to everyone else would have been helpful for this.”

“Bettered - I was unsure exactly what I was expecting and pleasantly surprised at the assignments. These should be achievable as part of the work I do at Careers Wales.”

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2) Q. What, if any, aspects of the day have you found rewarding and/or useful?

- Participants cited a number of rewarding aspects to the training day

including break-out group sessions; inter-group discussions; the mixed

professional membership of participants i.e teachers and career advisors;

employers’ talks:

3) Q. What, if any, aspects of the day have you found challenging or difficult?

- The majority of challenges/difficulties reported by participants focused on

the learning space and the training room being too small and too hot.

Others commented that the tempo of the session was at times a little

pedestrian. Of greatest concern however, was a sense of inaccurate

information being imparted by employers and a sense of genuine

disconnection between these and schools:

“The plenary session towards the end where we split into tutor groups really helped me to crystallise my ideas about how I might, in practical terms, achieve the requirements of the assessments and to talk to other delegates about the project and our work, too.”

“Discussing with others what we want to get out of the programme.”

“The availability of a huge range of resources, access to the University Careers and Employability room. A wide range of practitioners from England and Wales to share experience and expertise.”

“Employers’ talks.”

“The overcrowding! I think it probably prevented natural opportunities to circulate around the group.”

“For me the progress in the day was a little slow and I felt that some of the sessions could have been condensed a little.”

“I would have liked more opportunity to ‘dig deeper’ into the modules, perhaps we could have divided into 3 groups and looked at each section and reported back?”

“The crowded and hot room, it wasn’t a comfortable learning environment.”

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4) Q. What aspects of the day could be improved upon? How would you do this?

- Participants stated feeling that the training day would benefit from

increased getting-to-know and networking opportunities; small-group

activities; and attention to the timing of specific activities – i.e activities to

stimulate participants at a point of post-lunch fatigue

“Really, really disappointed at the employers’ inputs. It’s the ‘same old, same old’, particularly the woman on the far left who was the ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’. She has the wrong, outdated view of the current curriculum. All the speakers were pitching at the more able students and they also give unrealistic ideas about opportunities in their firms. I know that both Dow Corning and Amersham International only work with local schools and employ a very small amount of apprentices (if any). For the English teachers this can be frustrating in particular, because Education Business Partnerships in England have been disbanded and they were the brokers for arranging these links. Employers need to be briefed for the session.”

“The inaccurate information being given regarding GCSE option choices was concerning.”

“Improved opportunities to get to know other delegates. This could be achieved by any number of ice-breakers involving finding out something personal and something professional about each person.”

“As a careers adviser, I am a bit of a resource magpie and I and a number of other delegates were keen to glean what booklets and posters we could from the careers library of the university where the event was held.”

“. . . worked in groups of two or three to work on an action plan of what we were going to do.”

“Perhaps looking at some of the resources on the web could have been helpful.”

“A bigger room with more activities to get ‘into’ the resources.”

“Too much time in the morning was spent on ‘what are your expectations’ and ‘what are your reservations’. A clearer objective at the start, with some clear task would have been more effective.”

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5) Q. Has this activity enriched and/or broadened your knowledge and

understanding of approaches to STEM?

- Participants considered that the module had whilst broadened their

STEM repertoires broadly, they would have benefitted from advise in

specific STEM areas:

6) Q. Has today contributed at all to your continuous professional development?

Please provide examples unique to your area of work:

- Every participant was able to align their work on the module with their

own continuous professional development:

5.9 Themes: Training Day March 22nd 2012

1. Expectations:

Twelve of twenty respondents claimed that training day 2 matched their

expectations. Eight of twenty respondents stated that training day bettered

their expectations.

“It would be really useful to have someone from the [University Careers] Centre to give their experiences of students coming to them (STEM related) for their advice.”

“The employer session should have been before lunch, providing us with

informal time to continue exploring ideas.”

“It has made me think about how I can better use the STEM resources with my work, and personally with my 16 year old son, who is making his post 16 choices and is showing an interest in Maths A Level, after sitting his GCSE early.”

“I personally would have liked to have gained more knowledge of the specific careers within each subject area, maybe this could have been undertaken in small groups before feeding back?”

“In terms of CPD, this course will play part of my Threshold application, due for completion this year.”

“As someone that regularly provides students with careers advice it is always beneficial to have an employer perspective on recruitment of young people.”

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2. Aspects identified as rewarding and/or useful:

- Opportunity to discuss with other professionals their issues, concerns,

methods, good practice and experiences of STEM guidance – small group

discussion

- Think about practice in other areas - networking

- Refresher of sources of information and resources available – especially use

of website materials

- Information on LMI

- One-to-one discussion with tutors in respect of portfolio

3. Aspects found to be challenging or difficult:

- The heat

- Difficulties in hearing speakers

- Participants from differing backgrounds/areas approaching STEM in different

ways – good to discuss with those in a similar role – difficult to share with

those not directly employed by schools

- Reviewing progress and application of learning to existing role

- Too much info – not specific to needs

- Lack of time to complete online materials in readiment for the day

- Six respondents claimed that no aspects of the day were challenging or

difficult

4. Suggestions for improvement:

- Allocation of time dedicated to discussion of portfolio – individual tutor time

- Review of STEM LMI data

- More practical activities

- More discussion on problems, solutions and evaluation

- Separating the group into ‘schools’ and ‘careers’ sub-groups

- An air conditioned room

- Shorter lunch break

- LMI session – teachers better use of this time discussing how to implement

STEM careers advice in their schemes of work

- Two respondents claimed that there were no identifiable aspects of the day

that could be improved upon

5. Has the activity enriched and/or broadened knowledge and understanding of

approaches to STEM guidance:

- All twenty respondents felt that training day 2 has enriched and/or

broadened their knowledge and understanding of approaches to STEM

guidance. Some commented that they had gained an increased awareness of

Watermeyer 2012 13

information resources and approaches and greater confidence in providing

STEM careers advice.

6. Contribution to CPD:

- Confidence and knowledge

- Awareness of resources and schemes

- LMI

- Facilitated new ideas

- Useful for one-to-one guidance interviews

- Implementing STEM in school settings

- Improved knowledge of STEM

- Increased understanding of how and when careers awareness can be

implemented in class

- Impacting STEM subjects in school – personal development

- One respondents stated that the training day provided an opportunity to

network and provided better knowledge of activities in other schools

6. Stakeholder accounts

6.1 Interview participants felt that in a future iteration of the module greater time

ought to be allocated in face-to-face time.

6.2 Interviewees claimed that the wiki had not been as successful as had been

anticipated. Online dialogue was not particularly well evidenced and did not feature

as an engaging part of the programme.

6.3 Within the training days, group work met with some success however some

articulated a preference for more one-to-one face time with tutors. Some appeared

to be uncomfortable with a group dynamic where membership of the group was

varied and included participants who were STEM teachers and generalist career

advisors. One interviewee commented that some of the participants were resistant

to ‘forced sharing’ citing a sense of feeling under scrutiny.

6.4 One interviewee highlighted a difference between careers advisors being more

practically focused and less critically reflective yet working without a curriculum. This

individual noted a tangible difference in the style of articulation between teachers

and career advisors, which was claimed also to be evident in participants’ portfolios.

6.5 Exploiting the success of the pilot and maximising its learning requires an

investment in sustainable practice, continued funding and long-term investment.

The success of the module should be more than an improved and increased ability to

access online resources such as those found on the National STEM website. This

comes down in part to the workload management of teachers, carefully arranged

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CPD programmes and determining which and how many people should be afforded

time and money.

6.6 A concern that students might go-to-ground outwith the face-to-face sessions

was in part realised by low levels of e-mail correspondence and a paucity of online

interactions. Both course tutors revealed that it was difficult to maintain contact

with members of their tutor groups.

6.7 A highpoint observation was that attendance across all training days was high

and matched by a high completion rate among participants.

7. Final Observations

7.1 Course tutors reported evidence of culture change among participants at the

level of institution, reported in students portfolios’ and ‘evidence of practice change

in the school’. It may consequently be reasonably inferred that, individual learning

through the careers module may impact on a broader and more diffuse level, where

enrolled students impart and share new knowledge and skills with colleagues when

back-in-school. Of course much of in-school culture change depends upon senior

management buy-in and the extent to which teachers returning from their

experience of the careers module are licensed to operationalize their learning by

embedding it in their delivery of the curriculum.

7.2 The situation in Wales is further exacerbated by the notable exception of a

regional science learning centre.

7.3 The success of the pilot in terms of completion rates and the continued

attendance of students at training days is all the more remarkable given the context

of considerable downscaling of the careers service in England, and ominous signs of

the same in Wales. One member of the delivery team referred to this as a ‘cataclysm

in the middle of the course’ where numbers among the student cohort were

vulnerable to losing their jobs. It is unknown whether any among the student cohort,

engaged as professional careers advisors, have subsequently had their employment

terminated.

7.4 In total 18 from a cohort of 24 students fully completed all aspects of the course

assessment. This is recognised as a particularly high success rate and especially

significant when considering external factors and pressures such as the downscaling

and closure of connexions services and the relatively restricted time-scale for turn-

around of assessable outputs.

7.5 Much can be seen in the course not only as a means of credentializing in STEM

guidance but in affecting teachers and advisors as a confident deliverers of STEM

advice. Teachers have an additional pressure as direct representatives of STEM and

as role-models for young learners. Their ability to provide up-to-the-minute advice,

Watermeyer 2012 15

recommendations and a network for students is indispensable to the learners future

pathways and what we might think of occupational imaginaries in STEM.

8. Recommendations

1. Dedicated careers guidance lessons do not have a good reputation in schools. One

recommendation is that teachers of science, mathematics and design & technology

take opportunities, where appropriate and as available, to embed elements of STEM

careers awareness to contextualise their teaching and help bring their subject to life.

This should become second nature to the teacher and appear seamless with the

subject content by students. This creates a training need in both initial and in-service

training. The STEM careers training module should be available for use in the initial

and in-service training of STEM teachers.

2. The careers module should be a mandatory element of the post-graduate

certificate in education (PGCE), providing newly-qualified teachers (NQTs) with a firm

grounding in the types of information resources and networks available to them in

steering their students subject and occupational choices.

3. The careers module should be made available not only to those teaching within

secondary education but those in primary education. It was argued among interview

participants that targeting children’s STEM enthusiasms and interests should begin

at the earliest stage possible. Children should be made aware of progression

pathways in STEM from a very early age. It was reported that, ‘one of the significant

problems we’ve got is that children from the age nine to ten have little idea of how

to progress in maths and science’.

4. Investment in STEM careers guidance should form an integral part of school’s

teaching strategy.

5. Head-teachers in primary schools might constitute a priority recruit for the

module, reflecting a need for top-down buy-in and managerial prioritisation.

6. Increased employed engagement was viewed by stakeholders as essential in

building teachers and careers advisors contact networks and also an awareness of

existing opportunities and developments across STEM industries; especially in

emerging STEM domains. This could be co-ordinated within the module via a short-

term work placement, furnishing teachers/advisors with a first-hand account of

industry needs and the kinds of knowledge and skills demanded. In addition, where

STEM based companies have learing and teaching/training officers these should be

approached and included within the programme.

7. The STEM careers module should be administered via teachers’ inset days.

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8. The module requires ‘badging’ and recognition as a core component of teachers

and advisors ‘continuous professional development’.

9. The Future

9.1 It is currently a difficult time for STEM careers guidance, with retrenchment

across the careers service, yet consistent messaging from government in the

importance of investment in STEM and the correlation between inculcation of STEM

cultures in learners’ employment imaginaries at an early stage, and the long-term

buoyancy of a UK economy whose regeneration is increasingly aligned to STEM.

9.2 The pilot careers module has been recently validated by the University of

Glamorgan and will run as a bite-size option module of 10 credits, offered through

the University of the Heads of the Valleys Initiative (UHOVI). The co-ordination of

the module in this way is especially significant given UHOVI’s geographical situation,

the South Wales Valleys, where achievement in STEM is purported to be one quarter

of the Welsh average.

9.3 The value of the pilot exercise to those who took part cannot be underestimated.

Though, like any pilot, it suffered from teething problems, these were mainly

structural and organisational and could be easily remedied in any future roll-out.

Investment in specialist careers advice for both generalist careers advisors but also

arguably more importantly, STEM teachers, is it would appear essential in

communicating effectively and reliably to learners the wealth of opportunities in

STEM available to them. The careers module as a mechanism bridging education and

employment in STEM is incontrovertibly not only a good but essential thing in

fostering not only a more cohesive and holistic discourse of careers advice but in

serving and scaffolding future generations of STEMists.

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Appendix

1. Précis of Training Day 1. January 19th 2012

A large number of 24 individuals signed up from a broad demographic and

professional base.

The programme organisers had voiced initial concerns of a lack of demand and take-

up, which was ultimately proved not to be the case.

The session occurred in Cardiff University’s ‘Careers and Employability Centre’ and in

a very cramped room.

4 desks were arranged either side of the room with participants crowded around –

immediately an issue of space and lack of chairs – stalling. The course delivery team

considered ‘losing tables’.

Exactly half of the participants were from Wales and exactly half from England.

Participants comprise: science and maths teacher and careers advisors from FE

colleges and universities.

Participants were provided an informative to history of the STEM module and an

account explicating the involvement of the delivery team.

This was followed by an icebreaker quiz focused on STEM careers which involved a

range of multi-choice questions such as:

How much more do you earn if you have a maths ‘A’ –levels – the majority

answer correctly - 10%

Where does Britain come in the list of the largest manufacturing countries –

the least amount opt for the correct amount 7th –

The quiz generated significant interest and surprise from participants with a number

taking notes. The quiz generated some spontaneous q and a between the delivery

team and participants and ended aspirationally – focusing on previous British

recipients of the Nobel prize.

Students were subsequently provided a short time for quiet reflection and to

individually compose their expectations for the course. Students were then invited

to introduce each other and share these hopes/expectations and what they hope to

get out of the day(s).

These expectations were then disseminated in plenary and comprised:

- To learn more, to feel more confident in dealing with students and staff

- Understanding of subject developments, labour market information

Watermeyer 2012 18

- The relevance of academic STEM subjects to vocational students

- Background of STEM when talking to employers – linkage work for

teachers/employers especially those teachers who might be out of touch

- Increasing confidence in giving the right advice to students considering a

career-change

- Knowledge of transferable skills – the diversity of STEM careers

- Improve ability to promote STEM

- Alignment of course selection at HE with occupational opportunities

- Supporting children in the primary sector – up to par with students coming

from non-UK cultural contexts where STEM has a different level of kudos

- Increase creativity – capacity to be aspirational

- Science teachers - to increase motivation, unveil opportunities for students

- Promote stem careers to all abilities

- Strategies to engage students and colleagues

- ‘a little more ammunition when I’m promoting STEM subjects . . . . and that

STEM subject areas are complementary’ – showing children the links

- Access to employers and how to use employers

All aspects of the morning session are delivered by the tutors with aplomb and

consistent signposting, with students remaining visibly engaged throughout.

The afternoon session provides an opportunity for participants to hear from a panel

fo four STEM employers:

- Each employer provides a biographical and a sense of company/company

mission – vocational opportunities – broadness and interchangeabilty of

STEM skills – diversity of career opportunities

- Concrete examples of occupational opportunities and the necessary

educational requirements and educational opportunities – to be trained up –

apprenticeships

- One of the participants questioned the panel: “Should my son really be that

concerned about his choices at Year 9?” Response: “He should be aware of

what the barriers are.”

- Challenging debate on hierarchy

- An emphasis on engagement

Following the ‘employer session’ groups are divided into two camps –

Wales/England

This provides an opportunity for feedback from employers session:

- Good to hear not just about Ph.Ds – school-kids aren’t aware of other routes

to a STEM career – such as apprenticeships etc.

Watermeyer 2012 19

- A concern over subject-choice fatalism

- Pat offers an open session for Wales based questions

In the final plenary session, the course tutor ran through the timeline for the

evaluation – time management etc. and took any further questions.

2. References

Garnham, D. (2010) Science for careers: Report of the Science and Society expert

group. London: HMSO.

Holman, J. & Finegold, P. (2010) Stem careers review. Report to the Gatsby

Charitable Foundation. London: Gatsby Foundation.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2003) OECD

review of career guidance policies. United Kingdom country note. Paris: OECD.

Silver, R. (2010) Towards a strong careers profession. An independent report to the

Department for Education. London: HMSO.

Welsh Government. (2012) Science for Wales. Cardiff: Welsh Government.

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