YOUR LIFE UNVEILS ‘BEST SCHOOL TRIP, EVER!’

TO INSPIRE STEM WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE

UK businesses are set to benefit from a free-to-access, nationwide initiative to help business offer inspirational school trips to young people. The innovative “Best School Trip, Ever!” programme from the Your Life campaign will enable hundreds of employers to offer young people first-hand experience of the dynamic career possibilities available in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

Research from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills show that across key regions in Wales the programme will be especially welcome with few companies offering work inspiration experiences to young people. [1]

In Wales, just 17% of firms offer work inspiration such as a school trip already with 22% of firms citing “no time or resource to manage” and 14% citing “not been approached” as some of the reasons for not offering work inspiration activities to students in education. [1]

There are currently thousands of STEM roles lying vacant because young people don’t have the right skills to fill them [2]. However, new research shows that fewer than one in seven students chose STEM subjects for their A Levels despite nearly three quarters enjoying them at secondary school [3]. Your Life’s Best School Trip is specially designed to showcase the exciting futures open to those who choose STEM subjects at A-Level, and look to address the skills shortage through powerful face-to-face engagement during the school day.

Research from Best School Trip partner MyKindaFuture, demonstrates that 55% of young people want to receive inspiration and face-to-face guidance about their careers directly from companies. And just over two thirds of teachers think having face-to-face opportunities with employees is the most beneficial way for their students to receive employment advice.

Your Life’s Best School Trip is set to offer memorable ‘money-can’t-buy’ experiences and insights into the diverse STEM career universe. Best School Trip’s initial phase has already offered students the opportunity to ‘step foot on Mars’ at the Martian landscape simulation at Airbus HQ; take part in a Cisco Systems live link up with the Winter Olympics tech team; and assume the helm at Inmarsat’s Network Operations Centre with a view of their giant ‘mission control’ map tracking all satellites in orbit around the globe.

Your Life will work alongside businesses to ensure every Best School Trip is tailored to represent each employer in the most exciting and positive way for students and teachers. According to a recent report from the CBI, nearly two thirds of businesses (60%) are willing to play a greater role in the delivery of careers advice in schools and colleges to help address the skills shortage [4]. But the latest report from UKCES reveals that 56% of employers don’t engage with education at all. [5]

Edwina Dunn, Entrepreneur and Chair of Your Life says:

“There is an urgent need to engage the next generation STEM workforce and a great place to start is by opening the doors to some of Britain’s most exciting workplaces. Your Life’s ‘Best School Trip, Ever!’ is designed to create trips that inspire, surprise and delight in equal measure, and to offer students and teachers a genuine insight into career possibilities that are open to them if they study Maths and Science subjects.”

Salome Vanleuven, Planner at The Blue Hive advertising company and Best School Trip, Ever! host said:

“Best School Trip was a really positive experience. The students tried out a range of technologies such as a Brain Scanner and Oculus Rift (Augmented Reality), and had a chance to hear from a number of employees about how they use Maths and Physics in their jobs. I think the trip had a positive impact on the students and made them rethink how Maths and Physics could be applied to a range of different professions such as being a Social Media Planner or a Creative Technologist. I personally found it very rewarding and would definitely do it again.”

Dr Anthony Mann, Director of Policy and Research at Education and Employers Taskforce comments:

“School surveys routinely show very high demand for workplace visits from teachers and pupils.  Visits are seen as highly effective means of broadening aspirations, improving understanding of the world of work and the occupational relevance of education.  They take pupils out of their natural habitats and challenge them to think afresh about who they are and who they might become.  While demand is high, teachers have often found it difficult to find willing employers and interest is therefore likely to be significant.”

The Your Life campaign is keen to hear from organisations across the country, from start-ups to major corporates that are interested in becoming a Best School Trip, Ever! host to showcase the inspiring STEM career paths available at their workplace. The Best School Trip, Ever! programme fully supports and enables all trips, so there is little organisation required by host companies. For more information, or to host a Your Life Best School Trip, Ever! email: info@yourlife.org.uk  

Notes:

[1] UKCES Employer Perspectives Survey Wales

[2] Research from UKCES found 43% of vacancies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) roles are hard to fill due to a shortage of applicants with the required skills – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-level-stem-skills-requirements-in-the-uk-labour-market

[3] Your Life/AT Kearney research shows 73% of students enjoy STEM subjects when they begin secondary school but the main STEM A-Levels are taken by less than one in seven.

[3] http://news.cbi.org.uk/business-issues/education-and-skills/gateway-to-growth-cbi-pearson-education-and-skills-survey-2015/

[4] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employer-perspectives-survey-2014

[5] Ofsted Careers Advice report 2013 – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/careers-guidance-in-schools-not-working-well-enough

[6] CBI / Pearson study, 2014 http://www.cbi.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2014/07/employers-want-education-system-to-better-prepare-young-people-for-life-outside-school-gates-outside-school-gates-cbi-pearson-survey/