Belgium

STEM SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE OF EUROPE

Source / author: 
EU STEM Coalition
Country: 
Belgium
Abstract: 

The most crucial industries of today, whether it be semiconductors, the defence industry, agriculture, energy or health, all fundamentally depend on skills acquired by STEM education. However, the current STEM education system is not sufficient for our modern economic nor societal needs. This deficiency is seen from early age to lifelong learning, from vocational to higher education. Now more than ever, Europe needs to strategically invest in STEM education and public private partnerships focussing on providing everyone with the right set of STEM knowledge and skills. Better coordinated exchanges of best practices, increased upscaling efforts and more earmarked funds for STEM will be the way forward for improved STEM education.

Together for STEM

Short summary: 

Together 4 STEM Collaborative Platform aims to accelerate and scale business activities to promote inclusive STEM education and careers through sustainable business collaboration and active industry-education bridge-building.

Description and objectives: 

The objectives of Together4STEM programme in 2023 are deployed into 2 Workstreams:

  1. Strengthen business-education initiatives to inspire and empower young people in STEM

  2. Ensure a smooth transition to work for current and future generations.

The 2 Workstreams aims respectively to: Learn, Share & Co-create:

  • Amplify the impact of company STEM initiatives by developing a common methodology and share best practices

  • Strengthen existing company STEM initiatives by exchanging knowledge and provide insights at EU level

    Pool Companies learning content for stronger impact:

  • Pool together existing resources in the format of a website (e.g. STEM@Home) and

    written material to be disseminated (e.g. Climate Education Toolkit)

  • Analyse educational perspectives and needs for online platforms by organizing

    Teacher Working Groups

    Local Collaboration:

  • Build Local STEM Networks to organize school activities supported by the Climate

    Education Toolkit

  • Gain knowledge on quality of materials by measuring impact through activities

    - How are they measured / what are the KPI’s?
    Before 2023: Outreach/visitors STEM@Home website, Downloads of the Climate Education Toolkit From 2023 on: Together 4 STEM will conduct an impact measurement after all activities organised under the 2023 plan. The survey will measure the impact and quality of the platform's materials and activities.

    - Do these objectives relate to a broader (government) strategy? If so, which one (link) and how?

  • Pact for Youth: The aim of the European Pact for Youth was to improve partnerships

    between business and education to boost the chances of young people getting jobs. The Pact, initiated by CSR Europe is an appeal to business, social partners, education and training providers and other stakeholders to develop or consolidate partnerships in support of youth employability and inclusion. Together 4 STEM project emerged from this pact and will continue its legacy and serve as an example to build bridges between education and business.

  • European Year of Youth 2022: In 2022 “Together 4 STEM Goes Green” was announced in May and launched its Climate Education Toolkit later in October. This initiative contributed directly to the objectives of the Year, namely

o To make young people aware of the opportunities provided by the green and digital transitions;

o To help young people become more engaged and active citizens;

• European Year of Skills 2023: The European Year of Youth mission remains a deployment point and continues to live on in the European Year of Skills 2023. Therefore, Together 4 STEM remains committed to this and the programme is oriented on the importance of

putting young people at the heart of this European Year, in order to bring about a change of mindset in lifelong learning and the further acquisition of STEM skills.

Country: 
Education level: 
Logo or photo: 
Organisation: 
CSR Europe
Impact: 
  • Collaboration among business leaders in STEM to foster dialogue on the narrative

  • Development of sustainable learning resources in scientific areas for students

  • Inspire students to pursue STEM careers and education worldwide

    - How is this measured? N/A

    - Are there any specific objectives set related to this impact? For 2023

• Receive collective feedback and impressions from around 100 teachers, students and educational organisations on activities and materials developed through an impact measurement survey. Questions will include how the activities affect their interest in STEM, how the activities have impacted their preconceptions, etc...

Reach: 
  • Virtual outreach through workshops, webinars and roundtables of about 400 participants worldwide including companies, NGOs, national partners, educational organisations, institutions, etc.

  • Outreach/Users STEM@Home website statistics between 2020 and 2023 approximately 2.2K a year.

  • Downloads Climate Education Toolkit approximately 500 times by Businesses, NGOs, National Partners, Education Organisations, Institutions, etc...

    - What are the programmes’ objectives in terms of reach? For 2023

  • Virtual outreach through workshops, webinars and roundtables of about 400 participants worldwide, including companies, NGOs, national partners, educational organisations, institutions, etc.

  • Organisation of 2 educational activities in 2 European countries (Belgium and Italy) to test the Climate Education Toolkit materials, working with at least 2-3 local schools and/or education centres.

  • Receive collective feedback and impressions from around 100 teachers, students and educational organisations on activities and materials through an impact measurement survey

  • Create concept note for revision of STEM@Home prepared by collective feedback from at least 15 teachers employed in STEM areas.

Budget and funding model: 

Funded by Together 4 STEM Partner Companies: Huawei, Toyota and Unipol Group.

Title (dropdown menu): 
Year start: 
2019
Status: 
data_page_icon_programme: 

Kiezen voor STEM (Dutch only)

Source / author: 
Vlaamse Adviesraad voor Innoveren en Ondernemen (VARIO)
Country: 
Belgium
Abstract: 

Triggered by the shortage of STEM graduates in the Flemish labour market, the Flemih Council for Science and Innovation (VARIO) commissioned this research into trends and developments related to students choosing STEM education. (Dutch title: 'Kiezen voor STEM. De Keuze van Jongeren voor een Technische en Wetenschappelijke Studies').

 

The study has two main objectives: (1) achieve more insight in the trends and figures related to STEM within the Flemish education system, and (2) identify international best practices related to achieving higher numbers of STEM graduates, and identify their success factors. 

 

The report has been particularly influentials because it developed a definition of 'STEM' applicable to the Flemish education system, that differs from the one used in most international publications. This definition forms the foundation of the objectives in the Flemish STEM strategy (STEM-Actieplan 2012-2020) and related monitoring instrument of the Flemish government (STEM-Monitor) (see page 36-37).

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