RAFAC - STEM Newsletter 1 - Spring 2019

Issue No. 1 Spring 2019 • what STEM is Are you aware of the STEM Portal? It has more detailed • why this is important to the UK background information, our plans, lots of useful • the reasons for promoting STEM in the RAFAC resources and more, though this is a work in progress. • what resources are on SharePoint You find it by going to the SharePoint home page > • opportunities for cadets and staff HQAC Sub Sites > STEM Portal, or by using this link: The STEM Portal provides more in-depth information https://sharepoint.bader.mod.uk/stem/SitePages/Home.a and will be regularly updated! spx Quite simply, a national shortage of skilled people. It is The STEM Portal has a wide selection of fun, practical common knowledge that that the UK has a serious skills activities you can undertake on a parade evening, that shortage related to personnel training, or those having have been created by various professional bodies in completed training and education in STEM-related conjunction with the RAF. These include facilitators subjects with a knock-on to a skills gap in industry and notes, and some include videos for additional interest Defence. There is also a programme to encourage more and background. This might be an ideal project for females and ethnic groups into STEM careers. senior cadets to manage! The RAFAC is well-placed to be able to respond Activities - getting started with STEM positively to this. We have c40k cadets aged 12-19, c40% female membership and represent all ethnic groups nationally. Our classification syllabus historically has a vast STEM element, so this is not a new thing – but we aim to modernise and widen our offering, particularly in relation to experiential activities and promoting further opportunities and career paths. We have an excellent source of candidates to be potentially be recruited from. A STEM strategy has been drafted that will outline how we plan to make this a joined-up, progressive approach. This will be circulated once approved.

What did we do last year in relation to STEM? Quite a Not sure about a career path or what qualifications or lot! But here is a very, very, very small selection: experience you might need? The Profile of STEM Jobs page of the Portal details the job roles of a number of • Cadets across the UK attended various RAF people from different backgrounds, who work in STEM STEM courses careers – volunteers staff, ex-cadets, former and serving RAF. Engineers, Technology/Cyber and Cypher • Cadets in Northern Ireland built an airworthy specialists, Pilots, Chemists and more. aircraft! (Thanks to those personnel who offered to help with their • Saddleworth cadets put a microcomputer on profiles! Please email me direct if you would like to board the International Space Station contribute.) • 18 Squadrons were shortlisted in the RAF Engineering competition, all teams receiving huge amounts of praise • Essex cadets demonstrated their STEM skills to VIPs (incl the future CAS) at the House of Lords • A cadet from London & South East spoke about his aviation/STEM experience at a Palace of Westminster dinner More events and photos can be found on the STEM Finally, for this first edition of the STEM Newsletter… did Events in 2018 page. you know that the Air League offer various scholarships? Not only Flying and Gliding scholarships, Some cadets may assume that a STEM-related career but separate scholarships for Engineering and might be out of their reach. But with a huge resurgence Space! (I’m very excited about the Space opportunity!) in apprenticeships, there are many more opportunities available to people. The STEM Portal has links to For a small annual fee, members of your unit can then several RAF and civilian apprenticeships (aviation, become eligible to apply. Further information on these engineering, cyber and more) that might be of interest to amazing opportunities can be found in the STEM Portal. cadets. More will be added over time. Wg Cdr Nicky Weston Corps STEM Coordinator Email: [email protected] Twitter: @CorpsSTEM Facebook: @CorpsSTEM