Apprentices educate teachers in careers into STEM

Local engineering and manufacturing apprentices and graduates gave over 40 teachers from Gloucestershire schools an inspiring lesson about the routes into careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects.

The session, organised by the GFirst LEP Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing Business Group, GFutures and Festomane, enthused teachers, with apprentices sharing inspiring stories about the different ways they entered their career in STEM.

Apprentices and graduates from Renishaw, Delphi, Arc Energy, Versarien, GE Aviation, and the Director of Technology from Campden BRI, all spoke about their personal stories inspiring teachers to encourage their students into a career in manufacturing and engineering. Images of dirty workers and machinery grinding may dominate people’s minds when they think of careers within the STEM sector; however, the reality is that this sector is an advanced and high-value industry within Gloucestershire, which represents a huge range of innovative local companies and a real range of career opportunities form engineers, to designers, to supply chain and product development.

Former apprentice, Lucy Ackland is now Senior Development Engineer at Renishaw plc. She commented: “I am very keen to challenge preconceptions surrounding careers in STEM, particularly for women. There is a wide range of challenging, fun and rewarding careers out there for women and it is outdated to think that these roles might not be suitable. Apprenticeships are a great way to get into STEM fields; a practical way of learning, gaining real qualifications up to and including degree level whilst earning and having invaluable career opportunities. It is our responsibility to provide wide and unbiased information onto students to enable them to make the right decisions for their futures”.

Kathrin Beckerleg, HR Manager at Delphi Diesel Systems and member of the GFirst LEP Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing Business Group, added: “We were overwhelmed by the interest from Gloucestershire’s teachers, and many left the event feeling inspired to encourage their students to consider a career in the STEM sectors. There was such a wealth of knowledge and advice on offer from the mix of apprentices, graduates and experts; teachers are now keen to get these apprentices into their schools to talk directly to students.”

A number of schools left the event having won visits from local engineering and manufacturing companies for their students, including:

• A guided tour of the Delphi Diesel Systems factory in Stonehouse including presentations from apprentices in different departments – Won by The Castle School
• 30 free Arduinos (RRP £1000) courtesy of Versarien PLC and an engineer to deliver a session in your school on programming and prototyping – Won by Sir Thomas Rich School
• Renishaw will offer a tour of their site and a technology teardown, helping students to understand what an engineer does – Won by Cleeve School
• A free place on the Young Entrepreneurs 2017 competition delivered by GFutures and GCHQ –Won by  Lakers School