If the modern economy requires scientific thinking and work placements enable informed study and career choices, how might we combine them to empower young people? | CASCAID

Photo: Simon Gallacher

Take a closer look below at this guest blog by Dr Simon Gallacher, Head of Student Programmes, the Nuffield Foundation.

Here at CASCAID we are committed to continuously provide careers guidance to help support young people in identifying their future, education, training and career goals.

Photo: CASCAID

Statistics from CASCAID’s most recent careers report identifies that STEM knowledge and skills are becoming increasingly important in order to pursue that dream career. To help young people on the path of career exploration, CASCAID are pleased to introduce The Nuffield Foundation’s Research Placements to help students gain valuable experience boosting their opportunity and skills.

Make the numbers work!
Few things in life are as predictable as articles and headlines that tell us the world of work and jobs is changing. A recent article in the New York Times noted that ‘jobs that require a combination of math and social skills — like computer science, financial management and nursing — have fared best in the modern economy’.

In addition, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has stated that ‘in the context of massive info flows and rapid change, everyone needs to be able to “think like a scientist’. The Scottish Government has also been setting out its view that ‘all of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is underpinned by Mathematics, which includes numeracy’ against a backdrop that regularly reflects the UK’s need to improve the numeracy levels of its graduates and citizens more generally.

So if the modern economy requires scientific thinking (for which numerical skills are essential), and work placements enable informed study and career choices, how might we combine them to empower young people? This is a question the Nuffield Foundation has been addressing through its student programmes – Nuffield Research Placements and Q-Step.

Shaping and stretching research skills
Nuffield Research Placements are 4-6 week summer placements for school or college students who have just completed the first year (or are in S5/6 in Scotland) of a post-16 STEM qualification. Students need good GCSEs/National 5’s (or equivalent) to apply (grade B/new grade 6 or above), including mathematics, English and a science. We award bursaries to eligible students from lower-income families, as well as reimbursing travel costs for all students.

Our students tell us that the opportunity to participate in a placement really helped them to feel they had made a good choice about what to study at university and in some cases really made them re-think their choices. They also say that it gave them a chance to test out their skills and interests, meet amazing people carrying out real research projects and, in some cases, helped them review what subjects to aim for.
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Source: CASCAID