ePolitix.com speaks to Jan Stapleton of the IET about the 2008 Faraday programme.

Question: What is the IET Faraday 08?

Jan Stapleton: It is a new initiative that has developed from the well-loved Faraday Lectures. These were one-off, one-hour lectures that travelled around the UK and presented in 10 venues. What we had there was really limited both in its impact and in the number of people we could access. 

Now we are looking at the same premise; it is resource material about science and engineering for young people, and it has an annual theme. But now it is achieved through a programme of specially made films, student challenges, live events, school visits and teaching resources, delivered via an interactive website. This means it is an easily accessible, year-long resource available globally to all schools.

Question: Why is such a programme necessary?

Jan Stapleton: It is needed because we have just done some research, which is backed up by recent research the Royal Academy of Engineering has done, looking at the perceptions of educationalists, teachers and students. We found that what they think about engineering is exactly the same as what they thought 30 years ago. 

I honestly thought that perceptions had changed and young people didn't think of engineering as possibly dirty, usually boring and not a very inspirational job when the opposite is true, and so we need the programme to get the image of engineering across and show what engineers actually do and not what they don't do.

We want to try and change that image around, we want to show that it is a worthwhile and funky job – engineers create and produce stuff that is valuable to us all, and they can earn quite a lot of money doing it.

The programme provides a dynamic introduction to the world of engineering which aims to inspire young people to study the relevant examination subjects. The vital role engineering plays in improving everyday lives is clearly demonstrated in a very direct and thought provoking way.

Question: What is the theme for this year's programme?

Jan Stapleton: This year, the theme for the IET Faraday is 'Technology for Life' and explores the technological innovations and developments in healthcare engineering. We chose engineering in health as the first theme since the change because everybody is interested in their own health; it also shows the softer side of engineering. You don't have to go into medicine or medical sciences to make a difference; as an engineer, you can make a huge difference as well. 

Our resources investigate the themes of water, materials and prosthetics, telemedicine and robotics and biomedical signalling and highlight engineering's vital contribution to society.

Question: Why is the IET producing online materials for schools?

Jan Stapleton: The IET is responding to research, which indicates the need for innovative, motivating, engaging, challenging and readily accessible teacher resources. The availability of more hands-on, interactive experiences, with multi-level access points is seen to be the key to engaging students of all abilities in engineering related subjects.

All schools now have a huge IT capacity, pupils are ahead of the teachers in their IT capabilities, young people are looking to the internet for information, and teachers need to point them in the right direction. On the internet we can get to everybody, if we don't do it this way, we are limiting the number of people we can reach.

Question: How will this programme improve the image of engineering in schools?

Jan Stapleton: It will give some insight into what engineers actually do rather than what is generally perceived. It illustrates the breadth and depth of careers in science, technology and engineering along with the excitement and worth of such a career.

At the IET, what we want from the education department is to encourage more students to study science and engineering technology subjects, and stay studying them so that they have an opportunity to become engineers.

This is not because we want everybody to become engineers but we want them to stay with science because it is worthwhile and it is great, it keeps your options open for a brilliant range of careers across the board. The IET is there to say 'science is great!'
 
Question: What is behind the idea of the challenges?

Jan Stapleton: There are lots of challenges for schools surrounding engineering and they are often focused on the competitive element.

The challenges usually involve design and construction, quite long-term projects which can turn young people off, and don't show how engineers have to respond to problems and think quickly, they have to use initiative and be creative, people don't think that about engineers.

The problems in our challenges are there to illustrate that engineering is ideas-based, that you need to be creative, work as part of a team and use problem solving skills.

Question: What is the global potential of such a programme?

Jan Stapleton: It's a difficult question because if you look globally, from the educational perspective, there are different remits wherever you are. In the UK, for example, we have a very different remit to in India or China where they are queuing up to study sciences.

Here, we have a limited uptake of those subjects, which is why we need to keep that pipeline of young scientists going through; they don't have that same problem in India and China. What they do like in China is looking at the English way; to them, we are the voice and language of technology.

European countries and North America have got a similar problem to the UK. People in North America have already looked at our materials and think they are great; the same goes for English speaking schools in Europe. We are not directly relevant to everybody globally in the same way but interest from the rest of the world lies in showcasing engineering and its value to society to a wider audience.

Question: Is the programme something that could help to fill the skills gap and help Gordon Brown to achieve his aim of finding 'British jobs for British workers'?

Jan Stapleton: That is exactly what it is aimed at. It is not that the young people don't have the ability to do these things, but the media surrounding science and technology jobs is not helpful. We have got really bright young people who don't know they could be great engineers or realise the significance of science and technology.

Question: What is its value to schools?

Jan Stapleton: With the latest science curriculum everything has to be taught from the perspective of science today and science in reality.

Before this has not been the case, it was relatively academic, and of course, the academic side is still there but it has to be fronted by what is happening today. For example, materials science is taught from the perspective of a new building using a new type of material, and this is great for us.

We are showing with our films, scientists today working with new technology and it can all be related back to the curriculum, and the classroom. It is also of use for the engineering diploma and FE courses in engineering subjects.

Question: Would such a programme be a useful to schools if the minimum school leaving age was raised to 18 as the government has proposed?

Jan Stapleton: Yes, I really think it will be. We are trying to look across the range of people because engineering is not just for a particular type of person, you don't need 4 As at A Level.

Engineering is also for less academically minded people that are brilliant with their hands; that intuitively know things about engineering and would make fabulous technicians that we can't do without, as well as earning a good salary. It has to appeal to different people in our school population.

Question: Do you have any final comments for the readers of ePolitix?

Jan Stapleton: Yes, if you are interested in our young people, take a look at our website, give us some feedback and encourage as many people as possible to get involved.