New resources to help deliver inspiring engineering activities

With the launch of 2 new resources on the Tomorrow’s Engineers website, outreach professionals will find it easier to deliver impactful sessions about engineering careers.

The Tomorrow’s Engineers website has been developed by EngineeringUK and brings together free advice and guidance, curated from across the engineering community, to support practitioners in providing young people with engineering careers inspiration.

‘Talking about engineering careers with young people’ is Tomorrow’s Engineers new webinar featuring expert advice on how to deliver inspiring and effective sessions about careers in engineering. This webinar has been developed and launched by Tomorrow’s Engineers and it is a new way to showcase the breadth of engineering.

From aerospace developments and rail construction to cyber security and beauty products, this webinar emphasises that engineering is a career for anyone.

This webinar is for anyone wanting to inspire and inform young people about a career in engineering, such as STEM ambassadors, volunteers, signatories of The Code and outreach professionals, to deliver inspiring engineering activities that will make a difference.

While the webinar encourages the person leading the activity to be authentic and build outreach activities using their personal experience, it also reminds them that there isn’t just one route into becoming an engineer. Doing an apprenticeship is one of the many routes into engineering. It prompts them to be inclusive in their approach by encouraging everyone from different backgrounds to participate and involving students who might have additional needs.

Presenting this webinar is Eleanor Eyre, qualified careers advisor and Head of Careers at EngineeringUK, and Fayon Dixon, broadcaster and motivational speaker, who has previously worked with EngineeringUK during Tomorrow’s Engineers Week 2021 and Big Bang activities.

There will be a chance to ask Eleanor any burning questions about putting your learning into practice at a live Q&A session. Join us Wednesday 2 March 2022, 2 to 3pm, on Microsoft Teams.

The second new resource is called ‘Getting the message across’ and is a new free guide to help STEM professionals and ambassadors deliver exciting and inclusive activities to help encourage young people to consider engineering as a career choice. This guide intends to enhance, rather than replace, existing knowledge and guidance.

The best STEM outreach happens when a relatable STEM role model or ambassador uses their unique skillset and personality to bring a session to life through their own experiences of the world of work. ‘Getting the message across’ includes tips to plan inspiring and impactful activities by providing real-world examples of engineering matched to what students might be learning in the classroom.

The real-life examples include case studies from global engineering firms Atkins and Siemens. ‘Future Frontiers’ from Atkins highlights a project to deliver virtual coaching to young people experiencing economic inequality to ensure these students fulfil their potential at school and when transitioning to education or training at age 16. The ‘SeeMe’ project at Siemens showcases real role models who share their authentic career and personal journeys demonstrating that engineering is truly inclusive and can really be done by anyone, anywhere.

Eleanor Eyre, Head of Careers at EngineeringUK, says: “Engineers transform the way we live. Their work cuts across every conceivable area, from how we power our homes to medical technology and disaster response and space exploration. It is our job to nurture the engineers of the future and show young people that through a career in engineering they could have an impact on a global scale.”

This new guide features top tips for planning and delivering inspiring activities that inspire as many students as possible with positive messages about careers in engineering.

Key tips include making the activities inclusive for all young people, taking into consideration any additional needs and creating a supportive environment. A preparation checklist is also featured which will make the experience as smooth and positive as possible, for both the outreach professional and the students. This resource can be found on the Tomorrow’s Engineers website.