Merseyside-based precision sensor manufacturer Micro-Epsilon UK Ltd is engaging in local school and college activities to support the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) initiative and to help encourage more young people into science and engineering professions.
On 29 November 2013 Micro-Epsilon attended a STEM careers event held at Our Lady’s Queen of Peace Catholic Engineering College in Skelmersdale. Together with other engineering employers including BAE Systems and Pepsico, the company was able to demonstrate its range of displacement sensors and temperature measurement products including a thermal imaging camera which created considerable interest from students.
Supporting the event were leading institutions including the Institute of Physics, technical organisations, colleges and universities. More than 200 pupils and students aged 15-18 were able to see technology in action, find out about the participating companies and ask questions about the qualifications they would need to enter an engineering profession. Micro-Epsilon demonstrated the European and global aspects of working for an engineering company and the growth of women in engineering in addition to highlighting the company’s involvement in the Bloodhound SSC project.
The aim of the nationwide initiative is to help enlighten young people about the challenges and opportunities presented by STEM subjects. The aim is to encourage these young adults to study STEM courses in further or higher education and to take an interest in a career in engineering.
Industry’s need for graduates in STEM subjects is high. Since 2009 on average only 40% of those who graduate in the UK do so with a degree in a STEM subject ? with just one in 20 of these going on to work in manufacturing.
?The UK is still suffering from a lack of young people wanting to move into manufacturing after leaving school or college,” comments Amanda Byrne, marketing manager at Micro-Epsilon UK. “But the recession has demonstrated just how crucial manufacturing and engineering are to our economy. It is therefore essential that we attract the brightest young people to all types of jobs in manufacturing from production and engineering roles through to marketing, HR and purchasing. By supporting local STEM events Micro-Epsilon can communicate to these youngsters exactly what engineering as a career is all about and the opportunities it can offer. In 2014 Micro-Epsilon UK will be holding a series of technical sensor workshops to support the STEM initiative at the company’s new offices in Birkenhead, Merseyside.
