STEM for future

<< Background >>Developing skills for digital transformation is crucial if the EU is to leverage the full benefits of the ongoing digital revolution and sustain competitiveness in the global marketplace. The demand for digital skills is pervasive in almost all professions. Forty per cent of the EU workforce currently has limited or no digital skills. Moreover, the global labour market is projected to offer more than 50 million positions requiring skills in STEM fields by 2030. DESI 2020 pointed out that many EU members lag behind the global benchmark in digitisation, particularly in terms of skills and the percentage of young people receiving training or graduating in ICT fields. The implementation of initiatives to promote non-formal methodologies for teaching digital competences not only facilitates young people in acquiring skills in STEM subjects, but also guides them in their educational and professional decisions. Finally, although levels of initial interest in STEM subjects are comparable between boys and girls, there is a significant disparity in retention and continuation in these disciplines, particularly among girls. This underlines an urgent gender issue that requires attention.<< Objectives >>The 'STEM for Future' project aims to cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation among young people of the emerging career opportunities facilitated by technology. This commitment includes training initiatives aimed at improving their STEM skills through innovative teaching methodologies.Objectives:a) To develop and validate a methodology to increase the STEM skills of young people approaching the end of upper secondary education, thereby helping them to make informed decisions regarding their subsequent academic or career paths;b) To formulate an evaluation framework to assess the knowledge and skills acquired through the programme and to measure the impact of the activity on the participants;c) Facilitate the exchange of experiences, dissemination of best practices and presentation of results, culminating in the creation of guidelines for the transfer and replication of training activities across EU Member States.The project involved approximately 100 male students attending the last years of upper secondary education (with a focus on those attending non-technical or non-technological schools) as they stand at the threshold of critical decisions for their future.<< Implementation >>Structured project included the following activities:a) Design and implementation of four national and one international summer camp aimed at promoting youth engagement in STEM disciplines, facilitating informed decision-making on future academic and career choices; b) Iterative refinement of an evaluation and review process for education-oriented activities, culminating in the formulation of a methodological framework for STEM education from a gender perspective; c) Collection of experiences, good practices and impact evaluations to generate recommendations and guidelines for educators, facilitating the adoption of the programme in different educational contexts; d) Development a methodological framework for evaluating the competencies and impact of STEM education initiatives; e) Collaborative learning process among the project partners to consolidate and expand their expertise in implementing innovative training and guidance programmes for young people; f) Building a network of schools, training institutes, universities, companies and associations dedicated to promoting young people's participation in STEM-related education and career paths.<< Results >>The consortium, which includes Italian, Estonian, Portuguese and Spanish partners, collaborated on the development of a systematic approach for the planning and execution of STEM camps. In addition, they developed a tool to assess the STEM skills and interests of young people before and after their participation in these camps. In addition, they developed a comprehensive set of guidelines and recommendations to integrate STEM policies into upper secondary school structures, with the ultimate goal of facilitating the replication of the project's pilot initiatives in partner countries and beyond.To ensure the wide use and dissemination of the project results, teachers and trainers were involved. Through their engagement and the use of the tools developed, the project sought to catalyse the modernisation of school curricula. This involved the potential integration of STEM modules and the simultaneous adaptation of teaching methodologies and content. Such reforms have the potential to improve the attractiveness of the educational offer to potential students and stakeholders by fostering stronger connections both within the educational community and with external entities such as universities and the workforce.