NUSTEM: Working with Employers

For the British Gear Association we developed a one-hour, high-quality, curriculum-linked practical workshop for primary children, and a training programme to equip professional engineers working across the country to deliver the session in their local schools.

The session supports one of the most challenging parts of the primary STEM curriculum for teachers, builds the presentation and facilitation skills of engineers, presents real-world role models in a relaxed and relatable environment, and challenges students with a dynamic and surprising practical activity.

Our work and expertise spans from post-16 all the way back to Early Years Foundation Stage.

With Esh Added Value and Northumbrian Water, we defined and curated a series of loans boxes for nursery and Key Stage 1, themed around construction and water/utilities engineering. Esh subsequently won the 2017 Education Award from Business in the Community, in part for their loans box work.

NUSTEM believes there’s compelling evidence to support early intervention, particularly with families, to help shape discussions in the home around STEM careers, in the run-up to key education decision points.

With the Reece Foundation, we’ve run a highly successful Engineering Summer School, offering 17 year-old girls studying physical sciences an in-depth look at the opportunities of an engineering career. Timed for the crucial window prior to university applications, the school builds participants’ confidence and skills, and challenges their preconceptions. A carefully-planned sequence of industry visits, workshops, and project work fills out their understanding and perspective of what engineering is, invites them to consider their aspirations and hopes, and provides opportunity for peer support and learning.

We bring an evidence-led, research-rich perspective to a range of challenges facing employers, particularly long-term recruitment. NUSTEM staff are veterans of decades-worth of initiatives and programmes, and we’re hungry to learn from previous efforts, understand their limitations, and find new and innovative approaches which both address the STEM skills gap and offer a competitive advantage to the North-East.

We can offer:

• An audit of your programmes, leveraging the latest research thinking.
• Advice and assistance on choosing the most appropriate and effective points at which to target interventions.
• Support in developing and implementing reporting metrics and targets.
• Detailed assistance in programme development, delivery, quality assurance and impact assessment.

Only 9% of the UK’s engineering workforce is female.

While there are many initiatives focussing on encouraging girls towards STEM careers, NUSTEM takes a more holistic approach to the recruitment challenges facing employers. We think schools, teachers and families have a part to play in rebalancing aspirations… and that employers do, too. We can help you:

• Train your staff to recognise their unconscious biases – including gender biases – and work towards reducing them.
• Brief managers and practitioners on research-informed best practice for STEM engagement.
• Assist in the development of outreach and education support programmes.

If your staff are working on the front lines of STEM engagement, talking directly to children, families and the public – we can help. Whether you’re delivering talks and seminars or leading workshops, we can offer tailored training which:

• Builds confidence and skill in public speaking situations.
• Offers practical advice and coaching on areas requiring particular attention or care.
• Refines content and messaging to achieve your objectives.

The NUSTEM team draws on decades of experience both in the classroom, and in children’s media. Our award-winning staff train STEM communicators and performers internationally.