Role Models and Case Studies - National HE STEM Programme

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need to have enough information to make them useful - name, age; job role is not a case study really. Longer video clips provide real insight into what work is like as well as showing the route to a career. STEM Careers mapping and evaluation Rather than just mapping what exists the STEM Subject Choice and Careers Project in 2009 decided to take the opportunity of the new IAG Standards framework to evaluate 2 existing resources against the extracted and cross-referenced standards. We have designed a database (Access) to catalogue the evaluations to capture a section of the huge amount of careers resources available, and details of formats of resources. We have over 548 resources collected, registered and evaluated between May 2008 and October 2010 (some original resources from 2008 have been revisited and updated). The National STEM Centre library is to host a selection of useful careers resources in a wide range of formats for use by teachers along with a copy of the database. From this database we have drawn the resources that include case studies and role model elements and mapped them separately against our criteria and that of the Science Council instructions (see Appendix One). In addition we have separately and additionally identified case study / role model related resources and databases to support the breadth of mapping request. Database findings Some observations: Many websites include career profiles or case studies - but accessing these within any organisation's website can be extremely complex and time consuming for those searching. Unless you are determined - you would be likely to give up! Websites need to be much clearer in signposting to their case studies. The information contained within case studies can vary hugely - from very basic information about a job without anything about the person (not even a picture), right the way through to full entry qualifications, interests and job details with a video clip. The databases that provide very little but the basic details do not really serve a purpose in promoting careers. Many case studies contain part but not all of the basic information needed to be informative and useful. Some film clips are too long and would be unlikely to hold the attention of young people. The target group for the case study is rarely identified, but can generally be determined by the host site and section e.g. Prospects is clearly aimed at graduates while careers box is aimed at school pupils. There are already some excellent diverse role model / case studies particularly female. The short list of exemplar sites / individuals below provides some examples. They can be found in a number of different places - some sector skills councils, individual companies, Aimhigher / RDA funded STEM projects and STEM Institutions. We have categorised 286 individuals from our STEM careers database as well as other case study sites, focusing on the best ones. Websites such as Maths Careers website where there are a large number of case studies enable individual subjects to be well covered, however the balance in maths is graduate and above. A further 46 additional sites containing case studies / role model schemes in STEM beyond our careers resources have been identified and are listed. Exemplar examples The list of twenty five exemplars consists of those generally in their twenties / early thirties and graduate / postgraduate unless otherwise identified. Some exemplars are from large careers resources - but others are small - but illustrate good practice. There are few examples of diversity in ethnicity - so I have included some that are only part STEM based that focus on black and Muslim case studies. 1. The East Midland STEM Partnership was a great example of a range of organisations coming together to produce resources and promote STEM. Their series of hero videos cover a day in the 2 This is an evaluation of content in its broadest sense, i.e. a measure of content validity page 3/12
life of stories of a good range of roles. Watch the one of Hiten Mishtry, who is Train Systems Engineer with London Underground Victoria Line for the East Midlands STEM Partnership (he studied in the East Midlands). http://www.emstempartnership.org.uk/WhatIsSTEM/STEM+Videos/STEM+Partnership+Hero+Vide os/ 2. The IET - Meet the members, meet the apprentices, and meet the students (case studies). A detailed case study of a wide range of engineering roles, with a diverse age and ethnic background (but women only feature in apprentice section!). The site also encourages and informs about progression to professional membership and benefits of chartered status. Thomas Hlang, Rolls Royce Graduate Scheme on the IET website http://www.theiet.org/careers/careeroptions/explore/case-studies/mtm-tom-hlaing.cfm 3. ABPI website is a comprehensive careers site with a wealth of information and useful resources. The case studies cover a wide range of different pharma based careers, with a diverse range of role model backgrounds. The case studies include the basic needs and more. Marie, Analytical Chemist on ABPI Careers website http://careers.abpi.org.uk/case-studies/Pages/discoverychemist.aspx Cerian, Biologist, on ABPI Careers website http://careers.abpi.org.uk/casestudies/Pages/biologist-biomarkers.aspx 4. The Royal Meteorogical Society case studies provide a focused look at job roles in one sector in an informative and interesting way. The case studies are not too long, the language used is clear, and the people chosen are from a range of backgrounds and are a mix of men and women. Fiona Campbell, Meteorologist on the Royal Meteorological Society website http://www.rmets.org/activities/careers/spotlight.php#fiona 5. The Science Oxford website provides short case studies covering a range of STEM careers - the site allows you to choose a subject and interest areas and then leads to particular case studies. The people are local, the information includes earnings, photos (for most), a good mix of ages and gender, but very few from non white ethnic backgrounds and majority of roles are graduate upwards. The format includes a short question / answer format. Matt, Scientist, Lifelab, Science Oxford website, http://www.scienceoxfordnext.com/lifelab/profile/person/matt-k 6. icould is a comprehensive targeted careers website that covers a huge range of careers in and outside STEM. There are many ways to use the site - the clips can be watched in full or in highlight, there are linked teacher resources and ideas, and they have young people involved in the management of the site. The career stories can be funny, informative and insightful - and they have a few famous people on there too. They include a Life Theme search e.g. first in family to university - very useful. Ed Collings, Automotive Engineer, icould website, http://icould.com/videos/ed-collings/?length=short 7. Summit Skills careers website is a STEM careers Exemplar careers resource. The case studies are diverse in all respects and feature a number of apprentices as well as those who have progressed to higher levels...Good Day careers, Summit skills /CIBSE Ivan Chan at Buro Happold http://www.goodday.org.uk/Careers/Case-Studies/16 8. The Metskill Academy is part of SEMTA - the 5 case studies of apprentices can be printed off for use in school and they have male and female examples (no ethnic minorities). http://www.metskill.co.uk/about_metskill_academy/case_studies.aspx 9. The UKRC provides two useful role model resources to promote gender equality in SET. The GetSET women database http://www.getsetwomen.org/html/search-getset-women/viewprofile/?id=4575 provides information on a huge range of women working and studying in STEM related areas - contact can then be made by organisations to ask for the role model to visit. The blogs provide a different and innovative way to find out about STEM roles that women are involved in - young and old and from diverse backgrounds. See Dr Cheryl Pitt http://www.theukrc.org/blogs/getset-women/2010/09/investigating-plane-crashes 10. A Day in the Life series website has a small number of case studies with slides that show a day in the life of Scientists at different stages of their careers working in brain research at Manchester University. Not much career information - but a useful way of getting an insight - useful for teachers to use with students. http://www.youramazingbrain.org/insidebrain/daylife.htm# page 4/12
Page 1 and 2: Exploring the Range of Role Models
Page 3: 'Habitus challengers' (Hodkinson, 1
Page 7 and 8: Employer sites 22. Centrica graduat
Page 9 and 10: 16. Hodkinson, Phil and Sparkes, An
Page 11 and 12: Appendix Two - list of databases us
Page 13: Sectors page 12/12

Role Models and Case Studies - National HE STEM Programme

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