Our STEM Pledge
A strategic priority for the College is to become STEM-accredited, while pursuing partnerships with knowledge economy projects as they come on-stream. School liaison activities include enhanced Science promotions and a wealth of STEM-related activities are planned. These include talks, seminars, and Q&A sessions with females working in relevant local industry as well as a themed STEM section in our Prospectus. A STEM Club is planned for our 14-16 Academy and ‘A’ level Academy students and we will exploit our strong employer links, including those with the Technical Apprenticeship Service (Cogent Sector Skills), in arranging for girls to visit STEM-based companies and experience the opportunities STEM-related careers can offer.
The Engineering Department at St Helens College is currently working with partners in Stuttgart to share best practice and broaden the student experience.
It is also hoped that a new A level offer in Engineering Product Design will appeal to girls due to the innovation and artistic flair required, the increased number of products (such as cars) being designed with females in mind, increasing employment opportunities and a high profile in the media.
The pledge to establish a team of STEM Ambassadors will include participation from female College tutors in Science, Maths, Animal Management and Sports Science, as well as female role models working in local industry. We will develop a ‘toolkit’ of resources and activities for the Ambassadors to use when promoting STEM subjects to the target market, and a ‘STEM Zone’ on our website to detail tutor and alumni profiles.
Pledges
- St Helens College commits to establishing a network of female STEM Ambassadors by 2015 ensuring a mix of backgrounds from both industry and education.
- St Helens College commits to exploiting links with our existing European partners in sharing best practice in the recruitment of girls to STEM subjects.
- St Helens College commits to actively promote the STEM subjects through school liaison, the 14-16 Academy and through a series of dedicated STEM-themed activities targeting a minimum of 1,000 girls across the Greater Merseyside region.
- St Helens College commits to developing the Technology Centre campus in 2014/15 to ensure the environment feels more visually appealing, welcoming and safe to females in a traditionally male-oriented setting.
