Get the latest resource aimed at empowering career leads in schools across the UK
By Rebecca Healy, Careers Inspiration Manager at EngineeringUK
The new STEM Careers Leader guide assists Careers Leaders to embed inspiration for students into their whole school careers programme. The guide supports careers professionals bring to life the exciting possibilities that careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) offer.
Addressing skills shortages and promoting diversity
One of the key motivations behind the guide is to help support Careers Leaders raise awareness about the breadth of careers available in STEM. The guide builds knowledge about the UK’s current and future labour market needs, and shares how working in STEM can provide a stable and rewarding career.
Building young people’s understanding about what skills, knowledge and experience are likely to be in demand is key to careers readiness. This equips them to navigate career choices and transitions. There's a pressing need to make sure young people are aware of the diverse opportunities and entry routes available. Notably, around 16% of the UK engineering and technology workforce is made up of women. This highlights the importance of promoting that STEM careers are for everyone.
Supporting whole-school careers programmes
In my role as Careers Inspiration Manager at EngineeringUK and having been a Careers Leader, I know all too well the scale of the role. I know how time saving, supportive solutions are key. This guide provides a useful digest of current research. And it helps consider how policy recommendations made in the ‘Advancing STEM Careers Education in schools’ report by EngineeringUK could be realised.
By embedding STEM into your careers provision you'll help students see the relevance of STEM in their everyday experiences and future careers. A whole-school approach allows integration of STEM into all subjects and areas of school life. This means STEM inspiration permeates careers programmes in schools across every aspect.
Practical strategies and inspirational content
The guide offers a selection of practical top tips (essentially ready-made suggestions) about how to achieve this in a way that is relevant, meaningful and memorable. The focus is to engage young people to discover more, through their own motivations and interests. Using a basis of curiosity allows all subject areas to position careers in STEM. It also helps Careers Leads get all young people to think about how a career in STEM could be for them!
So whether you're seeking to build on what you already do, or are at the outset of designing in STEM to your careers provision, this guide will be of use.
