Investing in STEM

The proceeds from selling aged test equipment is being used to inspire a new generation of students to take up STEM subjects and join the next generation of young engineers.

This year Measurement Equipment Management Services (MEMS), part of Test Engineering in the UK, received £36,000 from sales of used test equipment nationwide.

Whilst a significant amount has been re-invested in new test equipment, a total of £8000 will go to schools with which Thales has built links in each of the four Business Units present in the UK.

Simon Goyder, UK MEMS Manager said: “We wanted to invest in supporting STEM teaching in the UK and we have the chance to give them grants so they can go out and buy their own equipment.”

He added: “The feedback so far from schools has been amazing. They are so pleased with the money that will help them run STEM projects for their students.”

Based in Crawley, Simon’s role is to coordinate teams at sites in each Business Unit into a whole-UK organisation that looks after all of Thales’s test engineering equipment.

Simon’s teams are responsible for purchasing new equipment. The equipment can include anything from oscilloscopes to multimeters and power supplies and is used by all the Business Units in the UK. 

“Every year we assess the equipment we hold and anything no longer required is then sold to specialist companies.

STEM projects based in schools in Belfast, Glasgow and Crawley and Templecombe will all benefit from the grant.

Supporting the next generation of engineers

Simon added: “It’s important to support the creation, growth and development of the next generation of engineers. Thales and the country needs more engineers and we want to help schools to get young people interested in mechanical and electrical engineering to enter STEM careers. And some of these young engineers could one day become engineers in Thales.”

Work has already been started on identifying test equipment to be disposed of in next year’s round and Simon hopes they can repeat the donation for 2024.