Determined by opportunity not ability?Pat Morton, Jill Collins, Claire Nix

Starting Points

• 42% of firms struggle to find the STEM talent they require

• 64% of firms are taking some action to encourage young people to pursue STEM subjects.

• only around 20% of those taking A-Level Physics or studying undergraduate physics courses is female and 50% of state schools have no women studying A level Physics.

• 18% entered for Triple Science with large regional differences in participation (11%-28%).

• 39% of pupils did not achieve A-C in GCSE Maths.

• Dyson report – 4% of young women want to be engineers, 14% scientists and 32% models.

The STEM careers rap…..

• http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/elibrary/resource/5971/what-do-you-want-to-do

Pass it on

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7l6crlMOrw&feature=youtu.be

An Introduction to Career Learning and Development 11-19

Career learning is not acquired simply through information and advice. Career learning is constructed through activity and in interaction with a variety of people (careers professional, employers, teachers, parents, peers). Individuals need ongoing experiences and discussion in order to construct this knowledge within a changing social and cultural context.

8

• Continuation of interests and hobbies from childhood

• Childhood role models still important e.g. parents, teachers, other authority figures

• Status and self esteem driven by being clever or ‘good at things’

• Need to inspire interest

Key Stage 3

• Balancing here and now perspective with greater thoughts about future – learning to defer gratification

• Starting to feel more adult pressures and responsibilities

• Identity being focussed on associations/clubs/belonging

• Planning and action

Post-16

Support through the key stages

• Move out of childhood and into ‘teen’ realm

• Aware and responsive to peer group influence

• Retreating into more private realm away from influence or easy access of adults

• Status and self esteem defined by popularity and peer acceptance

• Bring possibilities to life, planning

Key Stage 4

The nature and type, the timing and the extent to which they are tailored to meet needs influences the strength of the impact.

Case Studies• Dorcan Academy – Swindon

– Leeanne Hunnex – raised profile of STEM, ran assemblies, created notice boards and wrote a whole school action plan

• St Katherine - Will Pearson – setting up a resource bank, working with ambassadors, planning events to ensure impact on students, linking the curriculum to STEM contexts

• Pat’s two?

Key Principles – check these with Pat/Jill

• Planned and progressive• Starts early (Evidence

suggests that most young people’s Science aspirations and views of Science are formed during primary schools and solidified by 14)

• Age appropriate

• Broadens horizons• Planned and delivered

with colleagues in school

• Drawing on external partners

http://www.stem-e-and-d-toolkit.co.uk/

Some Key Resources

• Tomorrow’s Engineers Bank