Year 9 students at The Corsham School in Wiltshire recently took part in an annual STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) day, which included workshops from Siemens, Bath ASU, Avon Cooper and the MOD. Among the visitors were three former pupils from the school who acted as great ambassadors for STEM and demonstrated to the students how these workshops can shape their futures.
One of former students, Jack Harper, is an Apprentice Engineer with Siemens, and ran the Friday workshops. “As an ex-student of the school it felt very nostalgic to be back,” he explained. “Whilst a student at the Corsham School, I remember attending as many events as possible and always found the careers stands very insightful. Coincidently, one of the stands I went to see many times while I was there was Siemens Rail Automation, which in hindsight directed me towards an engineering apprenticeship.
“It was also a good feeling to be able to give something back to the community. However, I never anticipated going back as a team leader to hold STEM events that would shape our future engineers. It is always a pleasure to go back and see how far you have come since leaving. Now as a member of Siemens Mobility, I have been able to attend many STEM activities with Corsham School. The DIY electric buggy activity is one of the most exciting projects we do, and therefore the most rewarding in terms of the students engagement and passion towards innovation.”
“The Corsham School STEM day provides the students with an insight into their future employment opportunities as they approach their Key Stage 4 GCSE choices, as well as practising leadership and team building skills,” commented Community Liaison Officer Lin Wheeler. “We would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to these companies for giving up their valuable time and making our STEM day such a great success.”