Santa Loves #STEM campaign to inspire the next generation of engineers and technologists

Steve Backshall partners with IET to deliver Santa Loves STEM

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has teamed up with television presenter, Steve Backshall, to deliver this year’s Santa Loves STEM campaign to inspire the next generation.

The IET has today launched its 2019 Santa Loves STEM campaign to inspire the next generation of engineers and technologists. Partnering with BBC TV’s Deadly 60 presenter, Steve Backshall, this year’s video campaign is a poem all about Santa’s children and how they used their science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills to save Christmas.

Reading the IET’s Christmas story next to a cosy fire, Steve Backshall tells us how Santa’s children saved Christmas as we dive into the animated book. Santa’s four children, Sammy Science, Tommy Technology, Evie Engineer and Mollie Mathematician were all given STEM toys when they were younger which had a huge influence on their hobbies and future careers.

The poem tells young people and their influencers the importance of STEM in solving problems of all shapes and sizes and the fulfilling and exciting careers available through studying these subjects.

The IET’s vision is to engineer a better world and with a shortage of engineers, especially women, in the UK, this important campaign aims to encourage children into STEM in a festive and heart-warming way.

IET Head of Education, David Lakin, said:

“More than 200,000 people with engineering skills are required each year to meet demand through to 2024, however it’s estimated that there will be an annual shortfall of 59,000 engineers and technicians to fill these roles, so IET campaigns like this are essential in breaking the stereotype and showing off the wonderful world of STEM.”

The second part of this campaign is called Look at me now. This looks at the impact of generational influence, profiling STEM professionals and what their influences were as children, shaping them into the individuals they are today, or which subconsciously set them on the road to their future STEM career.

The IET is calling for STEM professionals to come forward and be part of this campaign to tell their story.