Get up to Speed with STEM (GUTS) arrived at the Magna Science Adventure Centre yesterday for its two-day careers showcase.
Peter Edwards, 55, CEO of the Work-wise foundation, said: “I think it’s so important that young people get the idea of how wide the STEM activities and STEM as a theme can be.”
There were over 55 exhibitors signed up to attend with 12 attractions, aiming to give young people aged 8-25 in South Yorkshire and the surrounding areas an interactive experience of working in STEM careers.
Today is their final day and across the two-day event, they have welcomed 5,500 young people.
Evan Harris, 17, a student at Doncaster UTC, said that his father got him into STEM by taking him to watch motorsports and was fascinated by how the cars worked.
He said: “It’s such an interesting thing to be in. It’s nice to see kids take an interest in it themselves.”
Many of the exhibitors at the event are local businesses raising awareness of the apprenticeships or graduate programmes in their industry.
Alex Kemp, a product engineer for Forged Solutions, believes that more young people should be educated on apprenticeships as they are a great pathway into STEM jobs.
Mr Kemp said: “Being in STEM just scratches an itch that I didn’t know I had.
“I used to love LEGO as a kid, and then making stuff for airplanes is like adult LEGO in a very different way.”
Mr Edwards took over as CEO last year and hopes to build on the success brought by the previous CEO, John Barber. He aims to help young people understand how the world of work is changing and wants them to see the enjoyment in the different careers they could have
He said: “Keep open minds. Just enjoy being curious, enjoy that whole part of learning and exploring. From that you could easily get a passion for something.”
Julie Sutherland, 31, an overreach officer for UK Atomic Energy Authority believes that science needs more young people to become more creative.
She said: “We have a massive need for creativity in science and I believe there is a part of science everyone will enjoy. They haven’t necessarily found it yet.”
The event finishes today and will be back next year. For more information you can view their website here.