Encouraging young people's interest in STEM
STEM represents four disciplines namely the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.
These spheres are essential components in exciting innovations for products and systems.
Although different in their approach, all STEM based careers share skills in critical thinking and problem-solving as well other transferrable skills, which are all important to consider regardless whether you are choosing a career path, looking for a job or hiring into your organisation.
Discover our STEM resources below.
Resources to inspire young people in STEM careers
At Matchtech, we’re proud to work within vital STEM sectors, placing thousands of talented engineers, scientists and technologists into extraordinary companies that help shape the modern world, every year.
However, we’re also aware of the current skills shortage, which is why it’s so important to help inspire the next generation and build a pipeline of future talent.
Check out our infographic showing some of the top careers you can have in STEM
When and how should we promote engineering careers to young people?
We curated some STEM-focused activities covering a range of skills and topics such as forces, coding, problem solving, perseverance, experimenting, logical thinking as well as career inspiration for young people.
Top 5 Engineering Resources
1. Software Engineering
- This is a great resource for getting started with GUIs in Python. Check it out.
- Brilliantly detailed guide to Pygame from STEM Learning
- 25 Projects for Beginners – coding with Python
2. Cyber Security
Cyber Security Engineers or Security Engineers design and implement highly secure network solutions that protect businesses and organisations against potential cyber-attacks and hacking threats.
- Create an app with AppShed
- Interactive online games from Stem Learning & Siemens
3. Hardware Engineering
Hardware Engineering is all about computer systems, how they are designed, built and operate together to solve problems.
- System mind map - This mind-map is a great revision tool for students aged 14 -16. It covers the main components of a computer system including the CPU, memory and storage devices.
- RISC v’s CISC Game of Trumps - Here’s a revision table to remind you of the main differences between RISC & CISC
To extend your revision further you could create a set of trump cards which detail the distinct types of processor.
Download the 'Trump card template' in the section below
Activity:
Use a wide a range of processors as possible e.g., RISC, CISC, multicore, single core, GPU, embedded, vector. For each, research how many cores it has, number of bits in the architecture, measures such as Millions of Instructions per Second, amount of cache memory, default clock speed, Floating Point Operations per Second, and any other measures you feel are important for comparison e.g., physical size and cost.
Edit the “trump card” template (below) to include as many elements as possible.
When completed, you could play a game of “processor trumps” by winning tricks e.g., on memory.
Considerations:
The most powerful processors are found in devices such as supercomputers. These can work with exceptionally large amounts of data and complex calculations. On the other hand, embedded systems need to have very low power consumption and small physical size. So, it is important to consider the application of processor when making comparisons!
4. Engineering
This is Engineering is a campaign delivered by the Royal Academy of Engineering and is packed with inspiration.
The website covers many industries where engineering is pivotal and introduces you Engineers in industry right now.
There are also resources for study and guidance of how to get the qualification and experience needed for fields.
5. Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineers design, plan, create and maintain electrical systems and the machinery and equipment used.
Turn On To Electrics is a brilliant website to explore all aspects of electrical engineering introducing you to a variety of jobs within the sector and advice on your next steps.
