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Module 4: Career induction activities, materials and guidelines4.1 STEM career activities: how to use them?In Module 1, section 1.3, we presented briefly four teaching strategies, which foster STEM Awareness from the The Emerging Role of Science Teachers in Facilitating STEM Career Awareness (Cohen & Patterson, 2012). We will remind them here again:    Incorporate both formal and informal approaches: constantly bring career awareness in your activities and do not keep it as a separate unit.    Help students see scientists as real people: students may have difficulty imagining themselves as scientists because they cannot see that scientists have a normal life, just like them. They have hobbies, families and various interests.     Connect the dots: it is not enough to just expose students to career information, the teacher also has to directly connect career information with whatever the student is learning at that moment. This can refer to making clear connections to the real-life use of subjects, to giving examples of how it connects to jobs of scientists. The student will not be always capable of making these connections themselves, and you will have to do that for him.     Embed reflection: To make sure that information sticks with students, embed reflection to drive a deeper understanding. Otherwise, a lot of the information can be lost over time if reflection is not used to “glue” it.   In this module, we will be building on these strategies by adding very concrete, specific activities and materials which you can use to introduce STEM careers to your students. We will start with some brief interviews with participants of the 13th Science Projects Workshop in the Future Classroom Lab, for primary and/or secondary school career counsellors and/or STEM teachers acting as career counsellors in their centres, organized by Scientix in collaboration with the STEM Alliance and OPENSKIMR. In this video, participants explain what tools, materials and activities they use to introduce STEM careers to their students. 

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Module 4: Career induction activities, materials and guidelines4.1 STEM career activities: how to use them?In Module 1, section 1.3, we presented briefly four teaching strategies, which foster STEM Awareness from the The Emerging Role of Science Teachers in Facilitating STEM Career Awareness (Cohen & Patterson, 2012). We will remind them here again:    Incorporate both formal and informal approaches: constantly bring career awareness in your activities and do not keep it as a separate unit.    Help students see scientists as real people: students may have difficulty imagining themselves as scientists because they cannot see that scientists have a normal life, just like them. They have hobbies, families and various interests.     Connect the dots: it is not enough to just expose students to career information, the teacher also has to directly connect career information with whatever the student is learning at that moment. This can refer to making clear connections to the real-life use of subjects, to giving examples of how it connects to jobs of scientists. The student will not be always capable of making these connections themselves, and you will have to do that for him.     Embed reflection: To make sure that information sticks with students, embed reflection to drive a deeper understanding. Otherwise, a lot of the information can be lost over time if reflection is not used to “glue” it.   In this module, we will be building on these strategies by adding very concrete, specific activities and materials which you can use to introduce STEM careers to your students. We will start with some brief interviews with participants of the 13th Science Projects Workshop in the Future Classroom Lab, for primary and/or secondary school career counsellors and/or STEM teachers acting as career counsellors in their centres, organized by Scientix in collaboration with the STEM Alliance and OPENSKIMR. In this video, participants explain what tools, materials and activities they use to introduce STEM careers to their students. 

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Module 4: Career induction activities, materials and guidelines4.1 STEM career activities: how to use them?In Module 1, section 1.3, we presented briefly four teaching strategies, which foster STEM Awareness from the The Emerging Role of Science Teachers in Facilitating STEM Career Awareness (Cohen & Patterson, 2012). We will remind them here again:    Incorporate both formal and informal approaches: constantly bring career awareness in your activities and do not keep it as a separate unit.    Help students see scientists as real people: students may have difficulty imagining themselves as scientists because they cannot see that scientists have a normal life, just like them. They have hobbies, families and various interests.     Connect the dots: it is not enough to just expose students to career information, the teacher also has to directly connect career information with whatever the student is learning at that moment. This can refer to making clear connections to the real-life use of subjects, to giving examples of how it connects to jobs of scientists. The student will not be always capable of making these connections themselves, and you will have to do that for him.     Embed reflection: To make sure that information sticks with students, embed reflection to drive a deeper understanding. Otherwise, a lot of the information can be lost over time if reflection is not used to “glue” it.   In this module, we will be building on these strategies by adding very concrete, specific activities and materials which you can use to introduce STEM careers to your students. We will start with some brief interviews with participants of the 13th Science Projects Workshop in the Future Classroom Lab, for primary and/or secondary school career counsellors and/or STEM teachers acting as career counsellors in their centres, organized by Scientix in collaboration with the STEM Alliance and OPENSKIMR. In this video, participants explain what tools, materials and activities they use to introduce STEM careers to their students. 

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Module 4: Career induction activities, materials and guidelines4.1 STEM career activities: how to use them?In Module 1, section 1.3, we presented briefly four teaching strategies, which foster STEM Awareness from the The Emerging Role of Science Teachers in Facilitating STEM Career Awareness (Cohen & Patterson, 2012). We will remind them here again:    Incorporate both formal and informal approaches: constantly bring career awareness in your activities and do not keep it as a separate unit.    Help students see scientists as real people: students may have difficulty imagining themselves as scientists because they cannot see that scientists have a normal life, just like them. They have hobbies, families and various interests.     Connect the dots: it is not enough to just expose students to career information, the teacher also has to directly connect career information with whatever the student is learning at that moment. This can refer to making clear connections to the real-life use of subjects, to giving examples of how it connects to jobs of scientists. The student will not be always capable of making these connections themselves, and you will have to do that for him.     Embed reflection: To make sure that information sticks with students, embed reflection to drive a deeper understanding. Otherwise, a lot of the information can be lost over time if reflection is not used to “glue” it.   In this module, we will be building on these strategies by adding very concrete, specific activities and materials which you can use to introduce STEM careers to your students. We will start with some brief interviews with participants of the 13th Science Projects Workshop in the Future Classroom Lab, for primary and/or secondary school career counsellors and/or STEM teachers acting as career counsellors in their centres, organized by Scientix in collaboration with the STEM Alliance and OPENSKIMR. In this video, participants explain what tools, materials and activities they use to introduce STEM careers to their students. 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KrqDlf5EGs
Now it’s time to think a bit more practical – how to put together these resources, with the optimal teaching strategies?

Activity 1:
https://padlet.com/eunacademy/jqbp4bzfbdux

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Module 4: Career induction activities, materials and guidelinesWEBINAR: PGBS tool @STEM AlliancePLEASE SEE BELOW A RECORDING OF THE WEBINAR THAT TOOK PLACE ON 12TH APRIL WITH THE THEME:The STEM Discovery Week Activities: Professionals Go Back to School SchemeFind the presentation here! 

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Module 4: Career induction activities, materials and guidelinesWEBINAR: PGBS tool @STEM AlliancePLEASE SEE BELOW A RECORDING OF THE WEBINAR THAT TOOK PLACE ON 12TH APRIL WITH THE THEME:The STEM Discovery Week Activities: Professionals Go Back to School SchemeFind the presentation here! 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRnDWypDqgI

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Module 4: Career induction activities, materials and guidelinesWelcome to Module 4! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaMmJAPimfU

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Module 4: Career induction activities, materials and guidelinesWelcome to Module 4! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaMmJAPimfU

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The learning objectives of Module 4 are:

1. Understand and learn what are the types of STEM careers activities available at school level and  how they can use them in the classroom;

2. Learn practical steps to introduce STEM career activities in the classroom;

3. Become familiarized with various experiences of STEM career activities implemented across several countries;

Congratulations. You finished.

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Module 3: STEM Careers pathways II3.5 STEM skills and STEM careers. Tools for match-matchingMost students possess a variety of skills, competences and interests, which can make of choosing a career path quite a difficult job. As we have seen in previous modules, it is also necessary to develop tools that help improve matching between skills and labour market needs. For that reason, some initiatives have arisen to help students connect skills and interests with specific academic or career paths, or even with possible future jobs.Below, you will find a curated list of skill-career path matchmaking tools in different STEM fields. In the form of online tests, games or self-assessment platforms, these tools have the potential to help students understand how their interests and abilities can connect to a possible future career.It’s of course difficult to build such a tool. We’ve seen that there is no commonly agreed classification of STEM jobs, skills and academic paths vary from country to country but, at the same time, these tools can provide a possible first step in the activity of STEM career counselling for students.Read this document, and try out some of the tools and comment on their usability by following the last activity of this module.Activity 5https://padlet.com/eunacademy/euawkrs4qtgt

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Module 3: STEM Careers pathways II3.5 STEM skills and STEM careers. Tools for match-matchingMost students possess a variety of skills, competences and interests, which can make of choosing a career path quite a difficult job. As we have seen in previous modules, it is also necessary to develop tools that help improve matching between skills and labour market needs. For that reason, some initiatives have arisen to help students connect skills and interests with specific academic or career paths, or even with possible future jobs.Below, you will find a curated list of skill-career path matchmaking tools in different STEM fields. In the form of online tests, games or self-assessment platforms, these tools have the potential to help students understand how their interests and abilities can connect to a possible future career.It’s of course difficult to build such a tool. We’ve seen that there is no commonly agreed classification of STEM jobs, skills and academic paths vary from country to country but, at the same time, these tools can provide a possible first step in the activity of STEM career counselling for students.Read this document, and try out some of the tools and comment on their usability by following the last activity of this module.Activity 5https://padlet.com/eunacademy/euawkrs4qtgt

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Module 3: STEM Careers pathways II3.4 Classroom methodologies to promote STEM skillsIn previous sections, we have seen the difficulties on agreeing on a STEM skills definition while exploring about some of the most relevant STEM skills and soft skills.In this section, we will learn about the relevance of promoting these skills in schools and about which role should you take on –as an educator- while exploring strategies to promote STEM skills in the classroom. Start by watching the video below, to get a first impression on how to stimulate STEM skills and soft skills in the classroom.

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Module 3: STEM Careers pathways II3.4 Classroom methodologies to promote STEM skillsIn previous sections, we have seen the difficulties on agreeing on a STEM skills definition while exploring about some of the most relevant STEM skills and soft skills.In this section, we will learn about the relevance of promoting these skills in schools and about which role should you take on –as an educator- while exploring strategies to promote STEM skills in the classroom. Start by watching the video below, to get a first impression on how to stimulate STEM skills and soft skills in the classroom.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwVrvGh49yg
As it has been mentioned in the video above, STEM skills can be promoted through different pedagogies and educational methodologies. Below, we show a number of different approaches (some of them based on A conceptual framework for integrated STEM education by Todd R. Kelley and J. Geoff Knowles, 2016). We encourage you to read them and to reflect how you would implement these approaches in classroom activities in any STEM field.

1. Engineering design: Engineering design is a methodology to promote the inclusion of engineering practices into the existing STEM curriculum (through the design and construction of a specific object/prototype).

This design will provide with a context for learning through mathematical processes. The analytical element of these processes will also allow students to use science inquiry to create and conduct experiments. These experiments will inform the learner about the function and performance of potential design solutions for the construction of their object/prototype. Students can benefit from this design, as it provides them with a systematic approach to solving problems in the STEM fields. Finally, it will allow students to build upon their own experiences and it will provide them with opportunities to construct new science and math knowledge through design analysis and scientific investigation.

✓ Do you want to know how you can put in practice this engineering design approach? Watch the video titled “Foundations of Learning: Building STEM Skills”. You will understand how to build up STEM skills through block play, and how block play is used as a type of engineering design activity, for the youngest learners.

2. Scientific inquiry/Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE): An inquiry approach to instruction requires teachers to “encourage and model the skills of scientific inquiry, as well as the curiosity, openness to new ideas, and skepticism that characterize science”. Scientific inquiry prepares students to think and act like real scientists, ask questions, hypothesize, and conduct investigations using standard science practices. However, an inquiry-based approach involves a high level of knowledge and engagement on the part of the teachers and students. Teachers often feel unprepared because they are lacking authentic scientific research and inquiry experiences themselves. However, through IBSE, students will be able to construct their own questions related to the science content they are investigating while becoming drivers of their learning.

✓ Watch the video “Inquiry-Based Learning in the Science Classroom” (secondary level) and the “Inquiry-Based Learning: From Teacher-Guided to Student-Driven” (primary level) to understand how you can structure your STEM lesson through an Inquiry Based approach.

3. Project based learning (PBL): Project based learning approach can be defined as “the ongoing act of learning about different subjects simultaneously”. When engaged in project-based learning, students will be assigned a project or a number of projects guiding them to identify, through research, a real-world problem and to develop its solution using evidence to support the claim. This approach usually requires students to use diverse skills (such as researching, writing, interviewing, working in teams, speaking in public, etc.) to produce different pieces of work (like research papers following experiment results, multimedia presentations or video documentaries, among others).

✓ Watch this Introduction to Project-Based Learning to learn the basics to this approach and the video on Five keys to Project-Based Learning to learn how to implement it properly.

Finally, find below a summary of tools mentioned in the video “Development of hard and soft STEM skills for your students” and that (combined with the approaches above) can help boost skills in the classroom.

Kahoot is a free game-based learning platform that helps educators create a collection of questions on specific topics while creating a game-like learning environment. Through this platform, you can create quizzes, discussion and surveys about any topic of your choice.

Classflow is cloud-based platform that allows teachers to create interactive lessons in a single place, while (at the same time) pulling in resources from anywhere.

PhET simulations are free, interactive, research-based science and mathematics simulations. These are written in Java, Flash or HTML5, and can be run online or downloaded from any computer. PhET is designed to encourage scientific inquiry and to provide interactivity among students.

Activity 4

https://padlet.com/eunacademy/ftr9o4lwp0ty

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Module 3: STEM Careers pathways II3.3 Soft skillsThe transition to become an efficient professional entails much more than the academic knowledge attained through the schooling system. It also requires the development of key soft skills necessary within the business environment. Future STEM professionals will be also progressively required to have greatly advanced ‘soft’ skills such as project management skills, communication aptitudes and problem-solving abilities.Watch the interview below, where Gabrielle Ferguson, Talent Development Partner at CA Technologies, gives a definition of soft skills and explains why these are important in pursuing a STEM career.

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Module 3: STEM Careers pathways II3.3 Soft skillsThe transition to become an efficient professional entails much more than the academic knowledge attained through the schooling system. It also requires the development of key soft skills necessary within the business environment. Future STEM professionals will be also progressively required to have greatly advanced ‘soft’ skills such as project management skills, communication aptitudes and problem-solving abilities.Watch the interview below, where Gabrielle Ferguson, Talent Development Partner at CA Technologies, gives a definition of soft skills and explains why these are important in pursuing a STEM career.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6q7PdDI2lA
In the video above, Gabrielle Ferguson, Talent Development Partner at CA Technologies, has mentioned an array of soft skills (including communication, adaptation, time management, collaborative working, agile working, adaptation to change, response to change or presentation skills) that are relevant in STEM study fields and STEM careers.

The acquisition of these skills will not only benefit students academically but it can also facilitate their entry and performance in the business world. Candidates with soft skills are rare but highly valued by employers; partly because soft skills are transferable to a wide array of jobs and professional areas but also because the acquisition of soft skills can help improve relationship building, networking and to create a professional workforce culture.

Read the article “The 7 Most Important STEM Skills We Should Be Teaching Our Kids” where some essential soft skills in the STEM areas are mentioned and follow the activity below:

Since most educational policies and systems prioritize the provision of knowledge, adapting existing school curriculums (in order to include activities that promote soft skills) is quite the difficult job. For that reason, it is advisable that teachers start promoting soft skills when designing courses or lessons plans. But how should they do that?

Soft skills such as resilience, self-control and time management can be incorporated through pedagogical approaches like project-based learning and inquiry based science education (which will be further explained in the coming sections).

In general, group work activities are always an opportunity to integrate soft skills in the classroom. Problem solving tasks can be a chance for pupils to engage in social skills. The freedom of working in groups will help students to develop time-management and self-control abilities, emphasizing the notion of self-regulation and time-on-task. Last, working in small groups can also encourage quiet students to express their thoughts in a more comfortable manner. (Concordia University, 2016)

Incorporating student self-assessment into lessons is another way to promote soft skills. While students can measure their knowledge attainment through tests, they do not always take time to reflect on their own work, on what is challenging them and in what areas are they succeeding. Having students review their own work will also help them develop resilience and add a goal setting approach to their educational experiences (Concordia University, 2016).

Activity 3
https://padlet.com/eunacademy/uz3jokj8n1kc

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Module 3: STEM Careers pathways II3.2 STEM skills of the future. In focus: ICT and digital skills.In the content presented in this modules’ first section, you have seen how skills related to nanoscience or programming and coding are mentioned and have been regularly brought up when talking about STEM education. Indeed, as new innovative industries arise and new jobs are created, future graduates will need the right skills to fill in these jobs of new creation.It is without a doubt that very specific areas of knowledge and expertise will be much needed. In "The Supply of and Demand for High-Level STEM Skills" report, we can already find some references in relation to the demand for very specific skills, as it follows: “For electrical / electronics, (…) employers are trying to recruit from a small pool of those with the right degree content (i.e. higher-voltage direct current is a pre-requisite for the transmission and distribution industry)” (Bosworth, Lyonette, & Wilson , 2013).And not only specific abilities will be needed, but also students that are able to understand how different skills are interrelated and who equally possess a variety of them. Traditional corporate limits are likely to be run down and collaboration within and across sectors will flourish. Without a doubt, “well-rounded candidates with technical skills, broader competencies, such as mathematical capability, and practical work experience” (Bosworth, Lyonette, & Wilson , 2013) will be much in demand. For that matter, it is necessary to start adapting science lessons and to focus them on teaching pupils the skills and competences they will need for future professions. Moreover, this new environment will have significant implications for future workers, who will need to engage and support evolving innovative situations, which will demand individuals to attain high levels of digital and ICT skills.However, when discussing technology and digital skills in formal education, the first thing that comes to mind is the contrast between the use of technologies in everyday life and its limited application in schools. In order to prepare the workers of tomorrow’s digital society, it is necessary to start by tackling general digital skills proficiency. It should be a priority in formal education systems to address the need to raise the level of digital skills of both pupils and teachers, as “a higher threshold of digital skills will allow for an easier upskilling and for a higher number of young people to make the leap from general users to ICT professionals” (Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME), 2015).Watch the following video, entitled “eSkills for Jobs 2016 | Lavinia Morris, Head of IT, SMBC Aviation Capital to understand the Importance of IT and technology” to be able to get an overview of the skills needed in developing a career in IT, challenges in this field as well as some tips to work in the profession.

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Module 3: STEM Careers pathways II3.2 STEM skills of the future. In focus: ICT and digital skills.In the content presented in this modules’ first section, you have seen how skills related to nanoscience or programming and coding are mentioned and have been regularly brought up when talking about STEM education. Indeed, as new innovative industries arise and new jobs are created, future graduates will need the right skills to fill in these jobs of new creation.It is without a doubt that very specific areas of knowledge and expertise will be much needed. In "The Supply of and Demand for High-Level STEM Skills" report, we can already find some references in relation to the demand for very specific skills, as it follows: “For electrical / electronics, (…) employers are trying to recruit from a small pool of those with the right degree content (i.e. higher-voltage direct current is a pre-requisite for the transmission and distribution industry)” (Bosworth, Lyonette, & Wilson , 2013).And not only specific abilities will be needed, but also students that are able to understand how different skills are interrelated and who equally possess a variety of them. Traditional corporate limits are likely to be run down and collaboration within and across sectors will flourish. Without a doubt, “well-rounded candidates with technical skills, broader competencies, such as mathematical capability, and practical work experience” (Bosworth, Lyonette, & Wilson , 2013) will be much in demand. For that matter, it is necessary to start adapting science lessons and to focus them on teaching pupils the skills and competences they will need for future professions. Moreover, this new environment will have significant implications for future workers, who will need to engage and support evolving innovative situations, which will demand individuals to attain high levels of digital and ICT skills.However, when discussing technology and digital skills in formal education, the first thing that comes to mind is the contrast between the use of technologies in everyday life and its limited application in schools. In order to prepare the workers of tomorrow’s digital society, it is necessary to start by tackling general digital skills proficiency. It should be a priority in formal education systems to address the need to raise the level of digital skills of both pupils and teachers, as “a higher threshold of digital skills will allow for an easier upskilling and for a higher number of young people to make the leap from general users to ICT professionals” (Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME), 2015).Watch the following video, entitled “eSkills for Jobs 2016 | Lavinia Morris, Head of IT, SMBC Aviation Capital to understand the Importance of IT and technology” to be able to get an overview of the skills needed in developing a career in IT, challenges in this field as well as some tips to work in the profession.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBKyFuyQ_sE
https://padlet.com/eunacademy/r0ed64t7q9n

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Module 3: STEM Careers pathways II3.1 STEM skillsAs we have seen in previous modules, knowledge and skills in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) fields are crucial in responding to some of todays’ societal changes. In the following video, Carlos Cunha (Physics, Chemistry and ICT teacher in lower and upper secondary schools, and Scientix Ambassador) will give you an overview on STEM skills from an educator’s point of view. We invite you to watch and reflect on his presentation.

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Module 3: STEM Careers pathways II3.1 STEM skillsAs we have seen in previous modules, knowledge and skills in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) fields are crucial in responding to some of todays’ societal changes. In the following video, Carlos Cunha (Physics, Chemistry and ICT teacher in lower and upper secondary schools, and Scientix Ambassador) will give you an overview on STEM skills from an educator’s point of view. We invite you to watch and reflect on his presentation.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AWW7OsAH_s
While, in the video above, we have seen a pedagogically oriented definition of STEM skills, it is important to be aware of the many descriptions available. For instance, in “Analytical highlight. Focus on: Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills”, STEM skills are defined as “those skills expected to be held by people with a tertiary-education level degree in the subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths” (EU Skills Panorama (2014) STEM skills Analytical Highlight, prepared by ICF and Cedefop for the European Commission). Still, this definition could be considered incomplete, as it specifically refers to those skills achieved through an academic progression to tertiary education, somehow dismissing STEM skills that can be achieved through other academic paths, such as vocational technical education.

In any case, how can we recognise those skills classified within STEM disciplines?

1. An easy way to identify them is by linking STEM skills to qualifications attained in STEM subjects. For instance, Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Biology or Physics are easily classified as core STEM skills. However, it is not as easy as it seems, as the variety and type of qualifications vary from country to country, especially in tertiary education (EU Skills Panorama (2014) STEM skills Analytical Highlight, prepared by ICF and Cedefop for the European Commission).

1. Another way of defining STEM skills is by linking them to STEM occupations. For instance, this study identified 30 STEM occupations (concerning those that most utilize STEM skills). The results ranged from mathematicians, chemists, civil engineers (among many kinds of engineers), to statisticians or agricultural technicians.

Nonetheless, one must keep in mind that there are non-STEM professions that use STEM skills. There are also many STEM degree holders working in a non-STEM occupation who might still be using their STEM skills at work. For example, marketing employees in a chemical company might be graduates in chemical degrees. And why is that? Well, if you need to sell your product from business to business, you might as well hire someone who will have enough understanding and knowledge in the chemistry field. (Bosworth, Lyonette, & Wilson, 2013)

For that reason, we need to show students how the acquisition of STEM skills will open the doors to a variety of professions (both inside and outside of the STEM fields). In the ‘Future Morph’ website, you will find a series of videos on how different professionals use math and science in STEM and non-STEM jobs. From a bakery manager to a glass artist, you can use these videos to show your students that STEM skills and knowledge are valuable in almost any career.
https://padlet.com/eunacademy/fozkar5ahxxj

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Module 3: STEM Careers pathways IIWelcome to Module 3!

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Module 3: STEM Careers pathways IIWelcome to Module 3!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRGbtu8Kh0Y
The learning objectives of Module 3 are:

1. Become familiarized with a set of STEM hard skills on demand;

2. Become familiarized with soft/transversal skills needed across all sectors/industries.

3. Explore various tools for matching skills with career pathways.

Congratulations. You finished.

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Module 2: STEM Careers pathways I2.5 STEM career pathwaysIn this section we will go into more detail on actual career paths to various STEM industries. It is impossible to present here all of the jobs in all STEM industries but we have curated some of the relevant resources you can use to build your knowledge in STEM jobs. Later on in May, we will also host a live webinar on this topic (more details to come soon). To start, you can have a look at what the Florida Polytechnic University has done on their website. They have created a glossary of both established and emerging STEM careers, which can be linked with various academic degrees.One of the three projects building this course, the STEM Alliance, had a great chat on chemistry and supply chain career paths organized in collaboration with EPCA (the European Petrochemical Association). The goal of this chat was to bring experts in the field closer to schools and share information on their careers. See summary here.This interactive guide on future technology careers provides a career path based on age and interests, and supplies additional information at every step of the way.Do you have students who are passionate about a career in space? Watch this recent Space Awareness webinar with Dr. Frank Danesy, Head of Business Unit Control and Senior Financial Controller, Directorate of Operations at the European Space Agency. The Career Hub of the Space Awareness project also features a great series of interviews and career cards in space and astronomy, perfect to share and use in your lessons with students. 

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Module 2: STEM Careers pathways I2.5 STEM career pathwaysIn this section we will go into more detail on actual career paths to various STEM industries. It is impossible to present here all of the jobs in all STEM industries but we have curated some of the relevant resources you can use to build your knowledge in STEM jobs. Later on in May, we will also host a live webinar on this topic (more details to come soon). To start, you can have a look at what the Florida Polytechnic University has done on their website. They have created a glossary of both established and emerging STEM careers, which can be linked with various academic degrees.One of the three projects building this course, the STEM Alliance, had a great chat on chemistry and supply chain career paths organized in collaboration with EPCA (the European Petrochemical Association). The goal of this chat was to bring experts in the field closer to schools and share information on their careers. See summary here.This interactive guide on future technology careers provides a career path based on age and interests, and supplies additional information at every step of the way.Do you have students who are passionate about a career in space? Watch this recent Space Awareness webinar with Dr. Frank Danesy, Head of Business Unit Control and Senior Financial Controller, Directorate of Operations at the European Space Agency. The Career Hub of the Space Awareness project also features a great series of interviews and career cards in space and astronomy, perfect to share and use in your lessons with students. 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcvNDiHVqWc
https://padlet.com/eunacademy/asig6g6r19su

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Module 2: STEM Careers pathways I2.4 Current STEM industries and professionsLet’s see now what working in STEM actually means and what are the employment prospects for STEM occupations in the European market.In Module 1, we saw that STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. While breaking down STEM in this manner may seem to lead to a specific definition, in fact there is little consensus regarding what specific subjects are covered by STEM. These differences may vary not only from country to country, but conflicting definitions can be given by different organisations within the same country! For instance, the UK’s House of Lords report on Higher Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, published in June 2012, acknowledges that some disciplines commonly related to STEM, such as medicine and associated subjects, sports science, psychology or archaeological science may not be seen as such by all British organisations.And things tend to look even more complicated when referring to STEM professions. The US Department of Commerce, for instance, also identifies a lack of consensus on whether educators, managers, technicians, healthcare professionals or social scientists can be regarded as STEM professionals.Drawing a clear line between STEM and non-STEM related professions is clearly a difficult task, but generally, in the data collected at the EU level, STEM fields include natural sciences (i.e. physics, biology or chemistry), mathematics, engineering, architecture and computing, but other fields such as medicine or social sciences tend not to be included.Careers in STEMSTEM fields provide challenging and rewarding careers. Moreover, a study produced for the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) shows that, starting from 2000, at EU level, unemployment rates in STEM professions have been very low, and much below the total unemployment rate, indicating a consistent demand for highly qualified STEM professionals, even in periods of economic hardship. (Maria CAPRILE, Rachel PALMÉ, Pablo SANZ, and Giancarlo DENTE. Encouraging STEM Studies for the Labour Market. Report. European Parliament. Mar. 2015)Moreover employment in STEM professions (which are knowledge intensive, usually requiring high level qualifications) is expected to increase significantly by 2025, and a slight increase is also forecasted for STEM associated professions (technical occupations, usually holding medium-level qualifications), for the whole of the European Union.The study also points to an increase in demand for high qualifications in the STEM sectors to cover the increase in job openings for STEM professionals. Moreover, more and more of the traditionally lower-qualified STEM related occupations are also expected to require higher qualifications. Have a look at the video to check some key points about employment in STEM professions and the role of teachers in encouraging STEM careers!

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Module 2: STEM Careers pathways I2.4 Current STEM industries and professionsLet’s see now what working in STEM actually means and what are the employment prospects for STEM occupations in the European market.In Module 1, we saw that STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. While breaking down STEM in this manner may seem to lead to a specific definition, in fact there is little consensus regarding what specific subjects are covered by STEM. These differences may vary not only from country to country, but conflicting definitions can be given by different organisations within the same country! For instance, the UK’s House of Lords report on Higher Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, published in June 2012, acknowledges that some disciplines commonly related to STEM, such as medicine and associated subjects, sports science, psychology or archaeological science may not be seen as such by all British organisations.And things tend to look even more complicated when referring to STEM professions. The US Department of Commerce, for instance, also identifies a lack of consensus on whether educators, managers, technicians, healthcare professionals or social scientists can be regarded as STEM professionals.Drawing a clear line between STEM and non-STEM related professions is clearly a difficult task, but generally, in the data collected at the EU level, STEM fields include natural sciences (i.e. physics, biology or chemistry), mathematics, engineering, architecture and computing, but other fields such as medicine or social sciences tend not to be included.Careers in STEMSTEM fields provide challenging and rewarding careers. Moreover, a study produced for the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) shows that, starting from 2000, at EU level, unemployment rates in STEM professions have been very low, and much below the total unemployment rate, indicating a consistent demand for highly qualified STEM professionals, even in periods of economic hardship. (Maria CAPRILE, Rachel PALMÉ, Pablo SANZ, and Giancarlo DENTE. Encouraging STEM Studies for the Labour Market. Report. European Parliament. Mar. 2015)Moreover employment in STEM professions (which are knowledge intensive, usually requiring high level qualifications) is expected to increase significantly by 2025, and a slight increase is also forecasted for STEM associated professions (technical occupations, usually holding medium-level qualifications), for the whole of the European Union.The study also points to an increase in demand for high qualifications in the STEM sectors to cover the increase in job openings for STEM professionals. Moreover, more and more of the traditionally lower-qualified STEM related occupations are also expected to require higher qualifications. Have a look at the video to check some key points about employment in STEM professions and the role of teachers in encouraging STEM careers!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiuDQvQaIM
Teachers play an important role in encouraging the uptake of STEM studies, often also acting as career advisors for their students. While classroom methods directed at encouraging the uptake of STEM may be easier to adopt, as we’ve seen in the study on “The Emerging Role of Science Teachers in Facilitating STEM Career Awareness” (Cohen & Patterson, 2012), being connected to emerging professions is one of the more difficult challenges teachers face.

One way of overcoming this challenge is by establishing links with industries. This will not only ensure that STEM subjects are contextualized in a real-life environment, but you can also learn more about the possible demands for STEM subjects in your local area! We will see more on how you can effectively do this in future modules.

You’ll learn more about career paths in the next section of this Module. But to get you thinking, we invite you to take part in the next course activity!

Activity 4
https://padlet.com/eunacademy/rc8e2twefg92

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Module 2: STEM Careers pathways I2.3 Jobs of the future65% of today's school students will be doing jobs that don't exist yet“Future Proof Yourself” Report (The Future Laboratory & Microsoft) The ‘Future of Jobs’ report has been compiled by the World Economic Forum (2016) and has been based on an extensive survey of Chief Human Resources Officers and other senior talent and strategy executives of leading global employers from over 9 industries in 15 developed and emerging economies and regional economic areas. In this report, a series of trends are identified and categorized over a time span of approximately 4 years, according to their impact. For example, rapid urbanization and cloud technology are already making their presence felt, whereas it will take a few more years for biotechnology and autonomous transport to seriously affect our lives.This means that there are already several key important trends in our current world, which are rapidly changing the work environment and, in essence, affecting the requirements expected from potential employees. This means that by the time secondary school students will have graduated, employers will expect very different skills and mindsets from them. How then, do these trends translated into actual jobs? In another very interesting report, by The Future Laboratory and Microsoft, “Future Proof Yourself”, these two organizations present 10 jobs of the future which at first may appear as sci-fi but, at a closer look, they are not that far away. Some of the jobs you can expect, according to them are Ethical Technology Advocate, Human Body Designer, and even a Space Tour Guide! They may not be recruiting tomorrow for them, but in a few years, these or similar jobs will become more and more in demand. If you want to find out more about future careers in engineering, check out this brief article on the Scientix Blog by Scott Rhodes who leads enrollment and recruitment strategies for Florida Polytechnic University. In his article, Scott talks about how engineering is at the core of sustainability advancements, big data management, and how it can support health care endeavors. Next, we will watch two interviews with two experts of CA Technologies, one of the largest software companies and partner in the STEM Alliance project, James Branam and Alex Kingham, both Software Directors at CA Technologies in Prague. We will also see more of James and Alex in future modules of this course. In these next two videos, they will talk about how they see the future of STEM jobs and how they advise teachers to best prepare their students.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMbJs0ycAck

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Module 2: STEM Careers pathways I2.3 Jobs of the future65% of today's school students will be doing jobs that don't exist yet“Future Proof Yourself” Report (The Future Laboratory & Microsoft) The ‘Future of Jobs’ report has been compiled by the World Economic Forum (2016) and has been based on an extensive survey of Chief Human Resources Officers and other senior talent and strategy executives of leading global employers from over 9 industries in 15 developed and emerging economies and regional economic areas. In this report, a series of trends are identified and categorized over a time span of approximately 4 years, according to their impact. For example, rapid urbanization and cloud technology are already making their presence felt, whereas it will take a few more years for biotechnology and autonomous transport to seriously affect our lives.This means that there are already several key important trends in our current world, which are rapidly changing the work environment and, in essence, affecting the requirements expected from potential employees. This means that by the time secondary school students will have graduated, employers will expect very different skills and mindsets from them. How then, do these trends translated into actual jobs? In another very interesting report, by The Future Laboratory and Microsoft, “Future Proof Yourself”, these two organizations present 10 jobs of the future which at first may appear as sci-fi but, at a closer look, they are not that far away. Some of the jobs you can expect, according to them are Ethical Technology Advocate, Human Body Designer, and even a Space Tour Guide! They may not be recruiting tomorrow for them, but in a few years, these or similar jobs will become more and more in demand. If you want to find out more about future careers in engineering, check out this brief article on the Scientix Blog by Scott Rhodes who leads enrollment and recruitment strategies for Florida Polytechnic University. In his article, Scott talks about how engineering is at the core of sustainability advancements, big data management, and how it can support health care endeavors. Next, we will watch two interviews with two experts of CA Technologies, one of the largest software companies and partner in the STEM Alliance project, James Branam and Alex Kingham, both Software Directors at CA Technologies in Prague. We will also see more of James and Alex in future modules of this course. In these next two videos, they will talk about how they see the future of STEM jobs and how they advise teachers to best prepare their students.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMbJs0ycAck

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4nAA30MOTk
https://padlet.com/eunacademy/y84z0s9y0qrl

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Module 2: STEM Careers pathways I2.2 Evolution of STEM professionsIn the previous section, we have seen that a big challenge within the Fourth Industrial Revolution is the risk of inequality in the labor market. In the same article of Schwab (2016), he uses the phrase “low-skill/low-pay” and “high-skill/high-pay” to describe how the job market will evolve.Let’s look a bit more into detail at this concept with this TED talk from Andrew McAfee, principal research scientist at the Center for Digital Business at the MIT Sloan School of Management, on employability in the future and what does it mean for future workers if machines will start doing a lot of the work we are doing now.

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Module 2: STEM Careers pathways I2.2 Evolution of STEM professionsIn the previous section, we have seen that a big challenge within the Fourth Industrial Revolution is the risk of inequality in the labor market. In the same article of Schwab (2016), he uses the phrase “low-skill/low-pay” and “high-skill/high-pay” to describe how the job market will evolve.Let’s look a bit more into detail at this concept with this TED talk from Andrew McAfee, principal research scientist at the Center for Digital Business at the MIT Sloan School of Management, on employability in the future and what does it mean for future workers if machines will start doing a lot of the work we are doing now.

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We are back at the idea that education is one of the most important pillars and that teachers need to be prepared to train pupils for the future of the workforce. A key idea derived from what we have seen so far is that it is critical for pupils to pursue higher education. If technology will eventually become biologically embedded in our lives, then labor skills will slowly become obsolete resulting in the “low-skill/low-pay” and “high-skill/high-pay” concept, or the comparison of Ted and Bill in the previous video.

Activity 2
https://padlet.com/eunacademy/ff66hgmwsu6s

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2.1 The Fourth Industrial Revolution“We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before.”Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic ForumIn the ‘The Fourth Industrial Revolution: What It Means, How to Respond’ article, Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of The World Economic Forum (a world leading nonprofit organization which “engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas”) explains how the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution will merge technology, biology and the physical world. This revolution will capitalize on trends we already see today (nanotechnology, biotechnology, 3-D printing, materials science, etc.) to completely reshape and redesign the way we do business, we govern countries, we interact and we conduct our lives.

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2.1 The Fourth Industrial Revolution“We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before.”Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic ForumIn the ‘The Fourth Industrial Revolution: What It Means, How to Respond’ article, Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of The World Economic Forum (a world leading nonprofit organization which “engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas”) explains how the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution will merge technology, biology and the physical world. This revolution will capitalize on trends we already see today (nanotechnology, biotechnology, 3-D printing, materials science, etc.) to completely reshape and redesign the way we do business, we govern countries, we interact and we conduct our lives.

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The author goes on to present the major challenges and opportunities this revolution brings: increased growth, prosperity and efficiency, but at the same time, a very high risk of inequality, and a shift in the labor market that a large part of the population may not be able to keep up with.

If we are already seeing mass disappearance of jobs due to automation, then how can we prepare for this total reorganization of our lives? How can we make sure that future generations are prepared and ready to ‘ride the waves’ of this revolution, and even more, to contribute and support the shift towards a more prosperous future?

One of the answers, as you can guess, is education. Teachers represent a critical ingredient in preparing the human resources of the future - in making sure that by the time the students have left school, they are able to enter the work field. We will see more on this in the upcoming modules.

Activity 1
https://padlet.com/eunacademy/luuu7snlzm8l
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khjY5LWF3tg

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The learning objectives of Module 2 are:

1. Understand which are the currently relevant STEM industries and what is the spectrum of jobs available in each of them;

2. Explore and learn about different career pathways available to reach those careers;

Congratulations. You finished.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUq5i0eYEhg

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1.3 STEM career guidance in schools

"Most teachers waste their time by asking questions that are intended to discover what a pupil does not know, whereas the true art of questioning is to discover what the pupil does know or is capable of knowing."

Conversations with Albert Einstein, 1920

Before talking about STEM career guidance in schools, you need to take into account the variety of existing situations where career-counselling activities take place. Approaches vary considerably from country to country and even from city to city or school to school. Some schools are lucky enough to benefit from the support of a career counsellor and even from career centres, whereas others often rely on the precious time of teachers to take up on the role of the career counsellor, either explicitly or not. What holds for all of these situations though, regardless of geographical location and support system, is that any counselling activities implemented in an educational centre will play an important role in the choice making of students.

When we apply this to the STEM subjects, some particularities arise. In the study entitled “The Emerging Role of Science Teachers in Facilitating STEM Career Awareness”  (Cohen & Patterson, 2012), based on a review of existing literature, the author outlines four cognitive-behaviour dimensions as the pillars of career development:

1. Awareness (students are aware and know the variety of STEM careers available),

2. Relevance (they see the connection between the subject they are studying and day to day life),

3. Engagement (students show direct interest and motivation to interact with the subject matter),

4. Self-efficacy (students are comfortable with using tools of science).

The report also goes on outlining four teaching strategies, which foster STEM careers awareness, derived from a series of interviews with science teachers:

1. Incorporate both formal and informal approaches: constantly bring career awareness in your activities and do not keep it as a separate unit.

2. Help students see scientists as real people: students may have difficulty imagining themselves as scientists because they cannot see that scientists have a normal life, just like them. They have hobbies, families and various interests.

3. Connect the dots: it is not enough to just expose students to career information, the teacher also has to directly connect career information with whatever the student is learning at that moment. This can refer to making clear connections to the real-life use of subjects, to giving examples of how it connects to jobs of scientists. The student will not be always capable of making these connections themselves, and you will have to do that for him.

4. Embed reflection: To make sure that information sticks with students, and embeds reflection to drive a deeper understanding. Otherwise, a lot of the information can be lost over time if reflection is not used to “glue” it.

We will be looking at this study more in this course so feel free to explore it in detail.

Activity 3 ​​​​​​

https://padlet.com/eunacademy/6sbrbb8rqmvr

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1.2 STEM careers in the job market

As explained in the first section, a multitude of sources have provided evidence that European industries face difficulties in finding skilled workers, causing what is known as the STEM skills gap. However, there are disagreements on the causes of such recruitment difficulties.

Some argue that employers’ problems in filling vacancies are related to the fact that young graduates are not prepared for the skills currently on demand.

Others believe the skills gap in the labour market is caused by structural economic shifts. These shifts have made the skills of individuals insufficient or irrelevant for the demands of the current markets.

What is more, others question whether this skills gap exists at all, arguing that there are other reasons for not being able to find suitable workers. In order to be better acquainted with this debate, and to fully understand the disparity of perspectives, follow the instructions below.
Next, we present you with the following two articles giving different perspectives on the topic:

Is there a STEM skills shortage in Europe? Analysing the evidence, and in

Is there a STEM skills shortage in Europe? Challenging the evidence

In the above articles you will find contrasting information on the existence and causes of the STEM skills gap in Europe. Read them first, and as a way to analyse them, follow the activity below.

Activity 2
https://padlet.com/eunacademy/6dh32maugksp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFuGbmN_di4

Module 1: STEM careers in schools and in the job market

1.2 STEM careers in the job marketAs explained in the first section, a multitude of sources have provided evidence that European industries face difficulties in finding skilled workers, causing what is known as the STEM skills gap. However, there are disagreements on the causes of such recruitment difficulties.

Some argue that employers’ problems in filling vacancies are related to the fact that young graduates are not prepared for the skills currently on demand.

Others believe the skills gap in the labour market is caused by structural economic shifts. These shifts have made the skills of individuals insufficient or irrelevant for the demands of the current markets.

What is more, others question whether this skills gap exists at all, arguing that there are other reasons for not being able to find suitable workers. In order to be better acquainted with this debate, and to fully understand the disparity of perspectives, follow the instructions below.

Next, we present you with the following two articles giving different perspectives on the topic:

Is there a STEM skills shortage in Europe? Analysing the evidence, and in

Is there a STEM skills shortage in Europe? Challenging the evidence

In the above articles you will find contrasting information on the existence and causes of the STEM skills gap in Europe. Read them first, and as a way to analyse them, follow the activity below.

Activity 2

Finally, below we list a few research publications following the topic of STEM studies and the labour market. Feel free to check them to access more information on the topic.

Caprile, M., Palmen, R., Sanz, P. & Dente, G. (2015) Encouraging STEM Studies for the Labour Market. Directorate General for Internal Policies. European Parliament.

European Commission (2015) Does the EU need more STEM graduates? Final Report. European Commission.

Congratulations. You finished.

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Module 1: STEM careers in schools and in the job market

"The aim [of education] must be the training of independently acting and thinking individuals who, however, see in the service to the community their highest life problem."
Albert Einstein

WELCOME TO THE ‘OPENING MINDS TO STEM CAREERS’ MOOC

Think about the modern world. What do you see around you? Almost everything, from the device you are reading this on and the software that runs it, to the fibres of the clothes you are wearing and even the food you are eating. Everything is, at least in part, available thanks to the work done by scientists, researchers, engineers and technicians.

Without enough of these people, the economy just would not function as well as it could. Indeed, knowledge and skills in science, technology, engineering and maths disciplines are becoming essential to function in today’s society and we have to do our best to deliver the best education possible to engage a whole new generation of scientists, researchers, engineers and technicians that will carry on the economy on their shoulders.

Take a peek at the video below to get a preview on the content we will deliver in this module. You are about to start the Opening Minds to STEM careers MOOC”. Welcome and let’s begin!

Think about the modern world. What do you see around you? Almost everything, from the device you are reading this on and the software that runs it, to the fibres of the clothes you are wearing and even the food you are eating. Everything is, at least in part, available thanks to the work done by scientists, researchers, engineers and technicians.

Without enough of these people, the economy just would not function as well as it could. Indeed, knowledge and skills in science, technology, engineering and maths disciplines are becoming essential to function in today’s society and we have to do our best to deliver the best education possible to engage a whole new generation of scientists, researchers, engineers and technicians that will carry on the economy on their shoulders.

Take a peek at the video below to get a preview on the content we will deliver in this module. You are about to start the Opening Minds to STEM careers MOOC”. Welcome and let’s begin!

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Introduction the Opening Minds to STEM Careers MOOC - Agueda Gras-Velazquez, European Schoolnet