Twenty-four Year 9 students went to the STEM Innovation Centre at The College at Braintree on 10 July 2017 where they were given the opportunity to hear about careers and apprenticeships in the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Students heard about different levels of qualification which would enable them to progress through various careers and also had the chance to hear from local, young apprentices who were in the middle of their training.  The children were also able to talk to a number of local employers in the STEM field who had activities for them to do and materials for them to take away and study later on.  There were also a number of workshops in which students participated, including a CAD design task and a poster design task involving conductive ink and innovative computer interactions.  Students came away from the day knowing a lot more about possible careers in science and engineering; they had had a chance to practice some of the skills they would need for such a career and also had engaged with employers to make the link between the theory taught in school and the actual jobs that the theory is eventually used in.  A fun and instructive day, enjoyed by all.

This experience would not have been possible for our students without the funding received for the cost of our transport from the Educational Visits Programme at The Jack Petchey Foundation.