There is a big focus, both nationally and at Ryde Academy, to get young people involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and as part of this the BAE systems Roadshow, supported by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy visited students at the Academy on Tuesday 5th June 2018.
The roadshow team spent the morning with students from Year 7 and 8, as well as pupils from primary schools in Ryde, aiming to inspire students to engage with STEM.
The importance of maths
The focus of the show was numbers and how maths forms the basis of so many things in our day to day lives. They also showed students the fun side of maths and what can happen when you don’t get your calculations right!
The most popular aspect of the day was the Nao Robot which delighted students and staff alike with its ‘personality’ and Michael Jackson dance routine.
Skills gap among younger generations
Lots of industries across the country say they are finding it difficult to recruit engineers and scientists and that there is a skills gap among younger generations.
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As a result, the Academy is doing its bit to support STEM based subjects and create excitement around them and the future careers they lead to. The whole curriculum includes aspects of STEM and there are lots of clubs and trips to help promote it to all students; STEM club, STEMettes (STEM club for girls) as well as trips to Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing HQ, universities, and UKSA.
BAE Director: We must “inspire the next generation”
Richard Hamer, BAE Systems’ Education and Early Careers Director, says:
“It is great to see more young people considering a degree or career in STEM and becoming more aware of the exciting opportunities available to them through these subjects.
“At BAE Systems, our engineers work in a variety of different roles, from designing submarines for the Royal Navy, to developing innovative virtual reality technology for leading athletes to improve performance or even working on wearable tech for the British Army and the latest fighter jets for the Royal Air Force.
“Initiatives like the Schools Roadshow are so important, especially as this is the Year of Engineering, to ensure we continue to excite young minds and inspire the next generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians.”
Report shared by Nat on behalf of Ryde Academy. Ed
