STEM - Investing in our engineering future

STEM: Today's youth, 
tomorrow's engineers

David Brunning with year 3 pupils at Hillside Primary School

JMS Engineers has long been an advocate of investing in and supporting excellence in its field of Structural and Civil Engineering. 

Our local offices in Chelmsford, Ipswich, Norwich and Leicester have developed relationships with their respective universities to encourage the next generations of talent. 

By demonstrating and mentoring real opportunities, students see achievable goals to develop their professional aspirations in this ever changing world of engineering.

Desks, guidance and opportunities have been made available to undergraduates for work experience and apprenticeship practice with great and mutual success.

Being a STEM Ambassador

Now David Brunning, part of the Civil Engineering team at JMS’ Head Office, is being actively supported by Daniel Staines in his own ambitions to guide the future of engineering distinction as a STEM Ambassador.

STEM Ambassadors are volunteers from a wide range of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related jobs and disciplines across the UK. They offer their time and enthusiasm to help bring STEM subjects to life and demonstrate their valuein life and careers.

As a STEM Ambassador, David has the opportunity to engage and inspire young people learning about science, technology, engineering and mathematics. He’ll help encourage students to consider further study of STEM subjects, particularly engineering, and guide their progression into related careers.

“It’s about inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals” said David. “We can show them just how practical and vocational their studies are now by relating what they’re learning to practical applications in the field. It sounds like a chore, but really the interaction with such enthusiastic young people is a lot of fun.”

It is David’s professional skills and personal objectivity that facilitated his move to JMS earlier this year. An Eng Tech MICE, David’s heart and soul already drive the professional qualities embedded in JMS, centrally at Brightwell Barns and nationally (internationally) across its regional offices.

STEM Ambassadors have been referred to as “...a UK national treasure” helping to bring STEM subjects to life by adding context and cutting edge applications to theory.

To help introduce learning in the context of Civil Engineering, the ICE have produced this video:

 

The interaction between David, school teachers and school students helps the teachers understand how, for example, mathematics is applied in Civil Engineering projects so they can put a practical slant into their teaching plans. 

It's a win win opportunity

And the advantages of shared experiences work both ways. evidence shows that being a STEM Ambassador provides volunteers with a better understanding of education, increases their professionalism, confidence, enthusiasm and motivation while improving their organisational, communication, team-working and leadership skills.

The impact on young people, prospective employers, teachers, STEM Ambassadors and their employers has been enormous across the board. It has been recorded that young people are greatly influenced by Ambassadors like David, increasingly pursuing STEM study post-16 and progressing into STEM-related careers.

A survey across a wide range of educational participants in the STEM process showed a 90% increase in young people’s engagement in STEM. Their awareness of the scheme’s importance increased by 89%. Their general learning and understanding of the values of subjects within the genres of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is already bearing fruit – as the diagram below illustrates:

"Giving back to build tomorrow’s professional engineers is as good as it gets" – good luck David and well done JMS for encouraging learning and professionalism.

We add value to every project we have been,
are, and will be equally proud to support.