From STEM Challenges to Career Success – Preparing young people for the world of work

How do we adequately prepare young people for the world of work, and ensure that they are confident, have the skills they need and have been inspired during their school days!

One way is through encouraging them to get involved in STEM competitions and challenges.  This isn’t about winning, it is about gaining skills, boosting confidence and learning about careers. Competitions also provide opportunities for pupils to develop their power skills (also known as soft skills) such as creativity, leadership, problem-solving, resilience and teamwork, while also inspiring young people to explore STEM careers. Let’s take a closer look at how this works in practice, competitions can help with:

• Boosting Engagement and Motivation –  generally competitions are exciting and allow learners to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios. Instead of passive learning, learners take an active role in problem-solving, experimentation and innovation. This type of hands-on approach leads to great enthusiasm for STEM subjects and encourages deeper learning.
• Developing Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills – many STEM competitions present learners with open-ended challenges that require them to think critically, assess different solutions and apply their knowledge in creative ways. Through these challenges, learners are better prepared for the future of work, which is fast changing, especially in the field of tech.
• Developing Teamwork and Collaboration Skills – collaboration is a top power skills in a STEM career and competitions often require learners to work in teams, delegate tasks and communicate effectively. By getting involved in STEM competitions, learners learn how to collaborate, listen to different perspectives and develop solutions together, which are real life skills they will need in the world of work.
• Increased Confidence and Resilience – many challenges and competitions, encourage learners to step outside their comfort zones, this is where a lot of learning takes place, including embracing failure as part of the learning process. When learners see that their ideas are valued and that setbacks are part of innovation, this can lead to personal growth and confidence in their abilities.
• Providing Exposure to STEM Careers and Industry Connections – many competitions are run in collaboration with universities, businesses and professional organisations, which give learners insight into real-world STEM applications. Sometimes, learners also get to meet industry professionals, attend workshops and engage in mentoring opportunities. These are all valuable in helping learners to decide upon and be aware of possible career paths.
• Building Inclusivity and Diversity in STEM – competitions aimed at underrepresented groups, such as girls provide an inclusive space where learners feel encouraged and empowered. These competitions, help in that all learners, regardless of background or gender, see themselves as welcome within the STEM sector.
• Supporting Cross-Curricular Learning – one of the wonderful things about STEM is that it is truly cross curricular.  STEM competitions often combine multiple subjects. So whether designing an app, engineering a robot or conducting a scientific investigation, learners are able to see how different subjects connect and help them to see the meaning and application of what they are doing and learning.

Competitions for you  There are many competitions available, here are a few categorised by topic and also age ranges: Primary School

1. Robotics & Engineering
   • FIRST® LEGO® League Explore – introduces young learners to STEM through hands-on learning and team-based robotics challenges.
   • FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge – engages learners in research, problem-solving, coding and engineering by building and programming robots to complete tasks.
2. Coding & Cybersecurity
   • BAFTA Young Game Designers – encourages young people to create, develop and present their new game ideas to the world.
3. Science & Innovation
   • Primary Engineer Leaders Award – encourages learners to interview engineers and design solutions to problems, building an understanding of engineering in everyday life.
   • British Science Week Poster Competition – an annual competition where learners create posters based on a scientific theme, encouraging research and creativity.
4. Sustainability & Green Technology
   • National Education Nature Park – the Hidden Nature Challenge, gets children and young people outside and exploring their outdoor spaces.
5. Space & Aerospace Engineering
   • ESA Moon Camp Challenge – pupils use 3D modelling tools to design a sustainable Moon base and explore space engineering concepts.

Secondary School

1. Robotics & Engineering
   • FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge – engages learners in research, problem-solving, coding and engineering by building and programming robots to complete tasks.
   • IET Faraday Challenge Days  – interactive engineering competitions designed to encourage creativity and innovation among learners.
2. Coding & Cybersecurity
   • CyberFirst Girls Competition – aims to support and inspire the next generation of young women in cybersecurity through fun and challenging competitions.
   • BAFTA Young Game Designers – encourages young people to create, develop, and present their new game ideas to the world.
3. Mathematics & Problem-Solving
   • UKMT Mathematical Olympiad for Girls – designed to encourage and inspire girls to engage with advanced mathematical problems.
4. Science & Innovation
   • Ultimate STEM Challenge – challenges learners to put their STEM skills to the test by designing solutions to real-world problems.
   • The Big Bang Competition – encourages young people to undertake STEM projects, enhancing their confidence and teamwork abilities.
   • British Science Week Poster Competition – an annual competition where learners create posters based on a scientific theme, encouraging research and creativity.
5. Sustainability & Green Technology
   • BCS Green IT Competition – challenges learners to develop innovative IT solutions that promote environmental sustainability.
   • CREST Awards – encourages learners to undertake science, technology, engineering and mathematics projects.
6. Artificial Intelligence & Digital Innovation
   • WAICY – encourages learners to learn and use Artificial Intelligence technology to solve real-world problems.
7. Women & Girls in STEM-Specific Competitions
   • Girls Who Code Challenges – offer various challenges and activities to inspire girls to pursue computer science.
8. Space & Aerospace Engineering
   • UK CanSat Competition – learners design and build a simulation of a real satellite within the volume of a soft drink can and then launch it to collect data.
   • ESA Moon Camp Challenge – learners use 3D modelling tools to design a sustainable Moon base and explore space engineering concepts.
9. Computational Thinking & Problem-Solving
   • Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge –  learners develop computational thinking skills through engaging and logic-based problem-solving tasks. Helping them to further develop skills in pattern recognition, decomposition, and algorithmic thinking, which are the foundations to computer science.

You may be wondering how do I build any of this into an already packed curriculum, with a heavy workload and decreasing time.  My suggestions are: Start small – pick one competition, such as the British Science Week Poster Competition and see the difference it makes! Work with local STEM Ambassadors who can attend your school and help to run competitions and challenges, for example, during after school clubs  

And if parents want to extend the learning further, for example during the school holidays, remember that Eduthing offer Technology themed holiday clubs for the under 12s.