A unique event allowed 1000 school pupils to participate in interactive activities around careers in Science Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) which aimed to increase skills in these areas to meet the future growth and success of the economy in Northern Ireland.
Lisburn Area Learning Partnership linking with South Eastern Regional College (SERC) and the South Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB), organised a STEM Sells event targeted at year 10 pupils from schools in the Lisburn area. This is the first time an interactive event like this has focused on STEM careers to pupils in this stage of their education.
Over 1000 pupils from 10 schools in the Lisburn area attended the STEM SELLS event at SERCs Knockmore Road Campus. The event, which ran over two days, consisted of a series of interactive workshops where the young people were able to get ‘hands on’ with making and trying out different experiments and puzzles relating to the subject areas within STEM.
Ken Webb, Principal and Chief Executive of SERC commented; “I am pleased that an event of this kind has been organised, it links into the research undertaken on the Future Skills Needs of Northern Ireland which highlighted the increasing demand for STEM subjects and the possible skill subject shortfalls emerging within the next decade in subjects like those within STEM.
“Reports have highlighted that NI has been identified as the region with the lowest numbers of graduating STEM students and recommends that educational establishments in NI need to increase by 25% the numbers of students, especially those from disadvantaged communities, at graduate and postgraduate level studying STEM subjects by 2015.”
Alongside interactive workshops given by SERC (Forensics, Pharmacy and Electronics) representatives from CAFRE (horticulture, equine, agriculture and food science), Bombardier, Cogent, Institute of Civil Engineers, Action Renewables and the Financial Sector Skills Council also participated.
Richard Armstrong, Schools Partnerships Manager at SERC added; “As this event was targeted at young people, we felt that it was imperative that the workshops were as interactive and enjoyable as possible. For example the forensics workshop showed pupils how to make ‘DNA Necklaces’ which they were able to take away. Also the Action Renewables workshop showed pupils how to build a wind turbine.”