On Wednesday 16th September, the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS) welcomed several schools to campus, for an event to encourage girls to think of education and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. Over 200 Year 9 students from 14 local schools attended a day of workshops from all EPS Schools, the School of Biosciences and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).
After an introductory talk from Anu Martin from the MTC, the participating pupils joined one of twelve interactive workshops – for example, learning about genetics in Biosciences, temperature in Physics or non-Newtonian liquids in Mathematics. These were followed by a campus tour, led by current students, before another workshop session.
STEM subjects are currently in high demand and offer a wide variety of career choices to young people; the balance of theoretical knowledge and practical experience can be of great benefit when entering the jobs market. Girls are significantly underrepresented in areas of science, and through outreach activities such as these, Birmingham is helping to address the problem.
One student, who attended the event, said: “I hadn't thought about university but the trip made me think about my future and want to go to the University of Birmingham.”