Encouraging and retaining women within STEM roles and education has been a challenge, not only because of cultural reasons but also due to other factors including previous educational attainments and experiences.
Within STEM, and in particular engineering, my initial market research found that there has been a gap in learners deemed the ‘missing middle’. This group of students are what we call within the education sector ‘Level 4 to 5’, or in other words those who are beyond school-leavers in terms of specialist skill development needed for high-level expertise, but prior to studying further specialist knowledge (such as with a bachelor’s degree or Level 6).
Engineering and manufacturing businesses, and the sector as a whole, struggle to understand what is needed for ‘the missing middle’; what a good quality offer looks like and what is available if learners don’t pursue the A-Level and degree route. This can create barriers for progression whether through educational pathways or within work, blocking talent from underrepresented groups, such as women or who have non-traditional experiences or qualifications, from entering STEM or upskilling.
In 2019, I led the newly formed Greater Birmingham and Solihull Institute of Technology (GBSIoT) on the provision of training within the advanced manufacturing and engineering sector, working closely between employers and educational institutions. Part of this work was also focused on encouraging more female engineering students and more learners from diverse backgrounds with different experiences and non-traditional qualifications.
With funding from The Technical Teaching Fellowship programme (in partnership between the Education and Training Foundation and the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851) and the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP, I supported the GBSIoT to develop an accessible assessment tool that signposted students with non-traditional qualifications to the various pathways available.
As an unbiased tool, the assessment provides advice on which route is most suited for the user, whether it’s college, university, apprenticeship, part-time course or further support and/or short courses. Career opportunities and earning potential are also included, and over time the tool will also track the learner’s progression and engagement as indicators of retention. The GBS IoT launched this as a digital platform in April 2023 and I presented the outcomes to the Princess Royal at a Fellows Reception for the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 in June 2023.
The Fellowship has also enabled me to develop my own practice in improving accessibility and widening participation, exploring how barriers can be removed to enable access to learning for under-represented groups. I delivered practical examples of best practice at 37 practitioner conferences, workshops and seminars, directly engaging with over 1800 FE practitioners, over 60 employers and over 60 students/apprentices and indirectly engaging with over 240 students/apprentices.
It has also led to invitations to inform policy development with the Department for Education, the ResPublica Group and the Gatsby Foundation across a variety of reports and higher educational forums.
Providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed within STEM has been one of my passions since moving from my role as an Aerospace Engineer into education and I’ve been proud to facilitate access to STEM education for a wider range of learners and support practitioners in enhancing the learner experience while developing a curriculum relevant to industry requirements.
Rosa Wells, Executive Dean of the School of Engineering, Digital & Sustainable Construction at University College Birmingham
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