TS-0228-20200228

engineers work in the fields of research and development (see bit.ly/euk-state-18 ). As the Tomorrow’s Engineers programme (tomorrowsengineers.org.uk ) puts it, between now and 2024 “Around 2.5 million jobs requiring science, engineering, technology and research skills will need filling.” The engineering sector is thus going to need candidates who have good research skills, while those able to combine such skills with technical ability and creativity will be especially well-placed to access the exciting career opportunities the sector has to offer. STEM research skills are essential for numerous teams at Shell; a prime example being our Scenarios team, whose role is to consider the energy challenges that cities of the future may face – just like those students taking part in The Bright Ideas Challenge. The job of Shell’s Scenarios team is to describe possible visions of the future, and identify how cities can be made more sustainable in a way that can help inform the company’s decisions. The power of ‘ What if… ?’ Shell Scenarios will regularly pose ‘What if...?’ questions that encourage leaders to stretch their thinking and carefully consider events that are presently only remote possibilities. The scenarios in question are based on research into 500 cities, possible assumptions and quantification. To that end, The Bright Ideas Challenge is a fantastic opportunity for teachers to set their students a task that mirrors those found in the modern workplace. There are plenty of ways in which teachers help students develop their STEM research skills, including attending national events such as The Big Bang Fair (see thebigbangfair.co.uk) or getting involved with Tomorrow’s Engineers Week (tomorrowsengineers.org.uk ). Entering The Bright Ideas Challenge is one avenue among many through which teachers can set research-projects themed around relevant STEM issues, while making use of curriculum-led resources that facilitate learning. Beyond the research-based learning objectives, the competition’s judging criteria will also require teams to demonstrate ‘solid STEM research’ if they’re to score well. One of last year’s judges noted that “It was really enjoyable to see how teams used research to inform detailed bright ideas. I was impressed with the many innovative ways in which teams communicated these and justified them with scientifically-based reasoning.” 77 HOWTO ENTER As well as helping to develop your students’ STEM research skills and contributing towards your careers strategy, The Bright Ideas Challenge offers a total prize pool of £45,000, including up to £5,000 to boost your school’s STEM offering. Also up for grabs is a fully-funded, once-in-a-lifetime VIP STEM experience, which takes in an expert-led prototyping session where students can bring their ideas to life. So how can teachers get their class started on the competition and begin setting STEM research activities? Teachers and classes can begin the process of entering by downloading the Research Navigation Guide (see bit.ly/shell-rng ), which explains simply and clearly how teachers can deliver the competition across different time frames and settings. Further details on how to enter can be found at bit.ly/shell-bright-ideas ; The deadline for entries is 5pm on Friday 24th April 2020 . TEACH SECONDARY SPECIAL STEM STUDENT CHECKLIST � Plan what you’re going to search for in advance to make most effective use of your time � Consult textbooks and use the school library, as well as the internet for your research � Assess all information sources for reliability, bias and timeliness � Try to draw on primary sources, such as interviews and scientific data gathered from experiments teachwire.net/secondary “Theability toeffectively research isavital skill for youngpeople entering the worldofwork” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Marcus is the UK STEM Education Lead at Shell