Inspire students into STEM careers with free new careers resource

To celebrate this week’s National Careers Week (6 to 11 March), teachers and careers leaders can help to ignite a passion for STEM careers among their students with the launch of a new careers resource.

Created by charity EngineeringUK, ‘From idea to career’ is a free, downloadable booklet for young people aged 14 to 19, which showcases the breadth of careers available in engineering and technology.

From aerospace and energy to manufacturing and software design, the updated booklet is designed to educate and excite young people about 12 popular engineering disciplines. Clear, accessible information showcases what careers in these sectors can look like, as well as how young people can enter them.

“There are so many exciting, rewarding and impactful careers that exist within engineering and technology, however young people often aren’t always aware that they exist,” comments Eleanor Eyre, Head of Careers at EngineeringUK. “National Careers Week is an ideal time to showcase this and we hope teachers and careers leaders will share this resource with their students, to help deepen their understanding of and spark a passion for pursuing a career in STEM.”

The booklet also has a strong focus on environmental sustainability throughout – an area which is of particular interest to many young people. It showcases how careers in the 12 areas link to the UK’s net zero targets around carbon emissions and highlights how sustainability is a priority for every industry.

In recognition of the growing importance of engineering-related careers, National Careers Week will be holding a dedicated engineering-focused day on Thursday 9 March – to spotlight the exciting and rewarding careers that will be at the forefront of change in the UK. There will be a live Q&A session on Neon’s Twitter on Thursday morning (9.30 to 10.30am) which will give students and teachers the chance to ask questions about engineering-related careers.

‘From idea to career’ is produced by EngineeringUK’s Careers Working Group – a collaborative group of careers, education, outreach and marketing specialists drawn from across the engineering and STEM community. The group produces a variety of free and interactive careers resources which are available to download on Neon, a website bringing together the UK’s best engineering outreach opportunities and inspiring careers resources in one place.

Another new resource of interest to young people making decisions about their next steps is ‘All routes into engineering’. This 20-page booklet explains the different vocational and academic routes into the sector, including T levels, apprenticeships and degrees.

Find out more and download ‘From idea to career’ at: www.neonfutures.org.uk/idea and ‘All routes into engineering’ at: www.neonfutures.org.uk/allroutes

Find out more about National Careers Week at: www.nationalcareersweek.com