The Curiosity Project, launched recently, is a three-year engagement programme by Siemens, broadening their existing investment to bring science, technology, engineering and mathematics to life in the UK.
The engineering company, established in the United Kingdom 170 years ago, will support five major science and related festivals throughout the UK, each with a clear ambition to reach out to parents, teachers and students to make the world of science available in a fun and engaging way.
Siemens will also conduct a research programme throughout the term of the project, to quantify the impact upon a young person’s understanding of engineering that a business engaging with parents, students and teachers can have.
The investment is in response to engineering companies needing 1.86 million people with engineering skills from 2010-2020, meaning that the UK needs to double the numbers of engineering related apprentices and graduates coming out of colleges and universities.
To support this, the UK also needs to double the number of young people studying GCSE physics as part of triple sciences and grow the number of students studying physics A level to match those of maths.
Siemens will also increase its free online engineering education resources launched in 2013 and already rolled out to 5,000 schools across the country in its first year with the aim of reaching 4.5 million pupils by 2016.
Juergen Maier, Siemens chief executive, said: “I’m extremely proud that Siemens is engaging young students, teachers and parents all across the UK both in and out the classroom, unlocking the exciting potential of a career in engineering. I am confident that Siemens and our partners in this area can make a significant difference, and via our research, we intend to prove it.”
Imran Khan, Chief Executive of the British Science Association, said: “We are really excited about our partnership with Siemens, as headline sponsor of the British Science Festival. Their support has enabled us to run a science and careers in action zone for the first time this year.
“We want to inspire a generation to be comfortable with science, whether they end up working in science or not. Working with Siemens will help us to challenge stereotypes of people working in science, allowing us to highlight inspiring mentors, exciting careers and fascinating research and technology.”
