On 13 February 2008, Maggie Cowan attended the ETB Careers Advisory Panel on behalf of the ICG.
Maggie reports from the event;
Key Points
Health and Safety materials for young people going on work experience in engineering, technology environments will be developed and distributed by ETB later in the year.
IAG Quality Standards for Young People document introduced to the group - for leaflet, user guide and case studies visit the CEGNET website www.cegnet.co.uk
Katie Walsh of NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) gave a presentation on the Planet Science website. The aim was to make a colourful, unconventional, accessible website with a 'chatty style to encourage its use by young people.
Jonathan Sanderson of NESTA introduced Planet Scicast a new site which aims to combine the best of children's TV with science learning - providing a new resource for the 'You Tube generation.' Young people are encouraged to produce and submit short films that use fun and entertaining experiments to demonstrate scientific principles.
Another educational website was demonstrated by Clare Simms of Engineering Timelines, a not for profit company promoting engineering education. The website provides a comprehensive overview of iconic engineering projects in the UK; there are also profiles of major engineers. The website aims to present engineering in an interesting and engaging way across a wide range of disciplines. However, it is still a work in progress and currently most of the projects have a civil engineering focus; there is also an absence of women and people from minority ethnic communities.
Other reports
'SCENTA Careers' Update and Overview
The aim of this project is to raise the numbers of young people opting for A Level physics - activities so far have included:
- e-mentoring linking a school student with a physics undergraduate
- industry visits for young people and teachers
- support for non-science teachers
- enterprise simulations (CRAC)
- careers workshops bringing together science and careers teachers with careers advisers to explore physics related career options
- Girls into Physics workshops
- e-mentoring linking a school student with a physics undergraduate
- industry visits for young people and teachers
- support for non-science teachers
- enterprise simulations (CRAC)
The plan for 2008 - 2009, providing funding is agreed, is to extend these pilots to a larger number of schools and develop partnership working with other similar projects.
DCSF STEM awareness careers bid proposals
Link to existing projects
Develop the role of ambassadors (role models) and mentors
VT Careers Management are developing materials around advice, information and guidance
Woking with Teacher's TV
Pilot a programme in 30 schools across 9 English regions
Convene 2 regional stakeholder conferences
Produce case studies and exemplars
Useful Websites
www.engineeringinteract.org
www.noisemakers.org.uk
www.engineering-timelines.com
www.iee.org/poweracademy
www.makingthemodernworld.com
www.exploratorium.edu
www.planet-scicast.com
www.planet-science.com
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