Micro-Epsilon UK, the precision sensor manufacturer, has announced it is engaging in local school and college activities to support the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) initiative, which helps to encourage more young people into science and engineering professions.
Industry’s need for graduates in STEM subjects is high. Since 2009, on average, only 40 per cent of those who graduate in the UK do so with a degree in a STEM subject – with just one in twenty of these going on to work in manufacturing.
The aim of the nationwide STEM initiative is to help enlighten young people about the challenges and opportunities presented by STEM subjects. The aim is to encourage these young adults to study STEM courses in further or higher education and to take an interest in a career in engineering.
Micro-Epsilon attended a STEM careers event held in November at Our Lady’s Queen of Peace Catholic Engineering College in Skelmersdale. Together with other engineering employers such as BAE Systems and Pepsico, Micro-Epsilon was able to present and demonstrate its range of displacement sensors and temperature measurement products to the youngsters. This included a demonstration of a Micro-Epsilon thermal imaging camera, which created considerable interest from students.
The Institute of Physics also supported the event as well as other technical organisations, colleges and universities. More than 200 pupils and students aged between 15 and 18 were able to see technology in action, find out about the participating companies and ask questions about the qualifications they would need to enter an engineering profession. Micro-Epsilon also demonstrated the European and global aspects of working for an engineering company, the growth of women in engineering, as well as highlighting the company’s involvement in the Bloodhound SSC project.
In 2014, Micro-Epsilon UK will be developing a series of technical sensor workshops to support the STEM initiative. These will be held at the company’s new offices in Birkenhead, Merseyside.
