Sep 30, 2024
Evaluation of our flagship event The Big Bang Fair, the UK’s biggest STEM event for young people, has revealed impressive results with 80% of young people saying they’d like to do more STEM activities, following their visit.
And 65% of young people (who took part in the survey of more than 2,000) say they are now inspired to consider a future career in science, engineering or technology.
This is great news, as the engineering and technology sector is expected to grow faster than any other occupation between now and 2030 and needs a diverse, skilled workforce to meet the huge demand for jobs.
Held every year over 3 days at the NEC, The Big Bang Fair brings STEM to life for thousands of young people from across the UK through interactive stands, shows and interaction with STEM employers. This year, 20,000 students attended.
The findings from a survey of more than 2,400 students at The Big Bang Fair also revealed 91% enjoyed the experience and 95% of educators rating the Fair ‘good or excellent.’
The survey also highlighted:
- 75% want to find out more about science, engineering and technology jobs
- 80% want to do more science, engineering and technology activities
- 79% now know more about what engineers do
- 65% have been inspired to consider a job in science, engineering or technology
This year, of all the schools which attended The Big Bang Fair, 55% met EngineeringUK's EDI criteria.
Phil McShane, Associate Director of The Big Bang programme, comments “This year, as ever, was a fantastic event and it’s great to hear so many students and educators enjoyed the event – but even better – have been inspired to continue to find out more about science, engineering and technology. We need more young people from all backgrounds to be aware of the diverse opportunities available in the sector.”
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