Andrea joined a panel of speakers at an event on STEM at Outwood Grange Academy today (Friday).

Andrea spoke to a total of 560 students about her own experiences of STEM subjects and her wider life experience. It is critical to the growing economy that the skills developed in education equip our future workforce sufficiently; STEM subjects create logical thinkers with analytical minds who are able to diversify into different fields applying their skills appropriately. 

Science, technology, engineering and maths are part of every aspect of daily life. Andrea was keen to help the students understand the impact a lack of expertise in these areas may have on the local economy if more local people do not train in these subjects and bring their skills back to the region. 

She used examples of local manufacturing businesses who have ageing workforces, many who trade in niche markets and require highly skilled engineers to work on product development to ensure they remain pioneers in the industry. 

She was joined at the event by:

  • Dr Katie Steckels from Maths Inspiration, who used maths embedded in episodes of the Simpsons to show them that a math qualification can take you anywhere
  • Two representatives from Prozone Sports discussing statistics within sport
  • Dr Peter Thwaites, a Lecturer at Leeds University who wrote Murder in the Sunshine State: Correlation, Causation and Simpson’s Paradox
  • Kathryn Greenhalgh, Director of Maths at Maths Teaching
  • Godsway Dzoboku, Director of Maths at Careers involving Maths.

The event was organised by Charlotte Forman, a teacher of Maths at the School. Charlotte said:

“It was fantastic to have Andrea at our event. She has a truly inspirational career story and our students were fascinated to hear what she had to say.”

Godsway Dzoboku gave a thought provoking speech to the students telling them:

“The decision you make now can put you in a little box with limitations or it can give you skills to go in any direction with limitless opportunities, if you have an ability do not limit yourself and put a ceiling on your ability”

“If you want to change the world and change lives you should be in education, as a teacher you can inspire somebody, one word of encouragement from you could transform their lives forever”

Commenting after the event Andrea said:

“It was a delight to go along to Outwood Grange and speak to the pupils.

“Listening to Godsway speak to the students was fascinating, his efforts to inspire them to pursue careers in math and education was moving, seeing them respond to such passionate encouragement makes me hopeful that our future generations of teachers in STEM subjects will have the same tenacity

“STEM subjects are at the heart of the curriculum and it’s more important than ever that we have more people taking these subjects.

“As the Vice-Chair of the APPG on Education, I’m particularly interested in how we can close the skills gap among school leaders, and high levels of take-up in STEM subjects is key to that.”