Student engagement with STEM employers holds key to inspiring the next generation and plugging the skills gap, new report finds
A new study by infrastructure solutions business Costain has demonstrated the significant boost to career prospects for young people who have meaningful contact with employers during their education.
Costain’s report found that an overwhelming majority of London Design & Engineering University Technical College (LDE UTC) students surveyed agreed that the college had prepared them well for the world of work, thanks to contact with employers.
Likewise, 83 per cent of employers agreed that the learners who went through the college were well prepared for the working environment. The empirical findings, along with interviews from the students, are evidence of the impact of employer engagement on the learners’ social mobility, on academic attainment and their development of social capital.
The report highlights that in the academic year 2020-2021 local employers had engaged with LDE UTC students on 19 separate occasions – almost 20 times the target under the Gatsby benchmarking.
Employers should be engaging with schools and communities to meet demand for talent
Employer engagement is an essential part of the LDE UTC through providing interview practice and experience, delivering specialist masterclasses and providing careers advice to learners. Sixty-eight per cent of LDE students either “agreed” or “strongly agreed” they had met a whole range of employers whilst at their college.
At a time of significant demand for talent, especially across the built environment, this report shows the benefits to companies of engaging with their local communities, schools and colleges.
The findings build on previous research from the Education and Employers Taskforce which shows that a young person who has four or more meaningful encounters with an employer is 86 per cent more likely to be employed and can earn up to 22 per cent more during their career.
Costain’s report shows that it is not only the students who benefit. Of the businesses interviewed as part of the report, 80 per cent agreed that learners had good employability skills when they leave and saw a good uptake of interest in work experience and other activities.
University Technical Colleges (UTC) are government-funded schools with a STEM focus. Established by companies and universities in areas of high demand for talent, they provide a unique and relevant approach to education which addresses the changing needs of students and employers in the 21st century. Engagement with UTCs will therefore be critical to attract talent into STEM sectors.
Baker Dearing Educational Trust chief executive Simon Connell commented:
“We tremendously appreciate Jeremy Galpin’s, Costain’s, and London Design and Engineering UTC’s work on this report – a landmark piece of thought leadership for the University Technical College programme.
“Maximising encounters with businesses is essential for ensuring successful career outcomes for young people, who in turn can help deliver much-needed innovation in our industries. Employers and students also greatly value these encounters, as demonstrated by the report’s findings.
“London Design and Engineering’s employer engagement provides a fantastic blueprint for schools and colleges looking to improve their relationships with local businesses. Headteachers, principals, and ministers should take careful note of the report’s findings.”
Jeremy Galpin, author of the report and Costain’s social value lead, said:
“The UK desperately needs more young people to embark on STEM careers if we are to achieve economic growth, provide social mobility and reach ambitions for net zero. This report aims to support this by providing a ‘how to’ guide to inspire more companies to get involved with education and skills training through schools and colleges.
“As outgoing Chair of the LDE UTC, I’m proud to have been able to help showcase the fantastic achievements of the learners, the teachers and the employers. I hope telling their stories will help inspire others to engage”.
Kearney Sullivan is studying a civil engineering degree via a Higher level apprenticeship, at the University of London, part-time, sponsored by her employer Costain. During her time at the college, she met a range of employers including larger organisations such as Fujitsu, Costain, Skanska, Tideway, Morrisroe and some smaller companies working locally in East London.
Kearney Sullivan, London Design Engineering University Technical College alumni said:
“Everything that I learnt at the college has been put into practice as soon as I came into the work environment. I did a number of work experience placements, with Tideway at Chambers Wharf, and Morrisroe. Both gave me a different perspective of the type of engineering opportunities ahead. I have now worked at Costain for nearly three years at HS2 works based at Euston, London. By the end I will have a degree sponsored by Costain and five years’ worth of work experience, which is amazing.”
The report was led by Costain’s Social Value Consultancy lead, Jeremy Galpin, and supported by the London Design and Engineering University Technical College and the Baker Dearing Educational Trust.
The full report can be found here.
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