Eve MAYWOOD

My Role in Thales is to support our UK sites to engage in opportunities that inspire young people to learn about STEM subjects. This includes developing and deploying a STEM Schools Strategy for the UK which will allow us to work with a number of schools on a long term basis.  This will ensure that we are putting our resources into the right areas, allow us to monitor and evaluate our impact and support schools within our communities.
I also oversee other activities that we engage with including the Big Bang which the UK’s biggest STEM event for young people and National Women into Engineering Day.  
 
My career has always been in Education including working in Schools, Universities and for educational based organisations   I have always worked in roles that have involved creating opportunities for young people to give them the tools they need to make informed decisions about their future.
 
As part of our activities, we have been developing a number of STEM materials that can be given out at careers fairs or used within a classroom. It has been great to see our primary school materials in action and seeing the young people engage with the games and presentation. It is important that primary children start learning as early as possible the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths and how it impacts on their everyday life’s. The materials we have developed support this.
 
I think I am incredibly lucky as I get to see the positive impact the events and activities we are involved in has on the young people whether they are  passionate about STEM subjects or not. Even if a child is never going to be a scientist or engineer it is still important to give them insight into how STEM shapes their life.
 
In addition, I also get to see the impact that our engagement has on the schools, teachers and parents. Being able to start working with schools on a long term basis in a sustainable way is vital. As an organization we are not just contributing to a young person’s learning experience but we are also providing opportunities and support to  the school and local community within that area.
 
I’m committed to driving our STEM strategy over the longer term. In the UK at least, it is estimated that within the UK engineering companies are projected to need 182,000 people with engineering skills each year to 2022. With this in mind it is my role is to ensure that we continue to inspire, engage and inform young people about the opportunities that are available to them.
 
Long term I want to ensure that Thales is proactive and a key contributor within the STEM arena, that we delivering a clear STEM strategy that will meet measurable targets whilst supporting and deliver sustainable long term projects, and that we continue to develop successful partnerships with other organisations who work in the same field. We all have to work collectively to try and meet the employment shortage in the UK.