The Generation STEM project has now reached its final stage as students are beginning to go out on work experience placements across the South West region. The project’s aim is to evaluate the impact that work experience has on students’ attitudes and engagement with STEM and to develop their understanding of employability skills and provide them with STEM related work experience opportunities that they may not have otherwise had access to. The project is being evaluated by the National Foundation of Educational Research and is funded by the Education Endowment Foundation, Careers and Enterprise Company and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Last fortnight, two of the Generation STEM students from Plymouth and Ivybridge went out on their five day work experience placement at Plymouth’s National Marine Aquarium. Both students had a fantastic time on their placements, giving talks to visitors and working with Aquarium props. On their final day, Laura Edmundson (CSW Project Coordinator for Plymouth and Cornwall) and Karen Seldon from Industrial Cadets, were able to witness the students’ presentations on marine life. Both were very well researched and well-presented! Thanks go out to Calvert Mason and the team at the National Marine Aquarium whose support has been invaluable to the project.
We look forward to seeing how our other Generation STEM students get on with their placements in the coming weeks. With a wide variety of businesses involved – including Princess Yachts, Peninsula Medical School, Avanti Communications Group, RNAS Culdrose, Bristol Zoo Gardens, Two Four Productions and many more across the South West, Berkshire and Herefordshire regions, we are confident that the students are going to have a really valuable and rewarding experience.
