STEM Research with a Twist

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18 June 2015 | Updated 01 January 1970

Barking & Dagenham College in East London, has secured the highest industry-backed recognition from NEF: The Innovation Institute, for the quality of its STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) based education and training by achieving STEM Assured status.

STEM Assured is the only educational standard that independently verifies and benchmarks the quality of STEM provision. It is promoted as the most prestigious accolade an institution can receive in STEM.

As part of the STEM Assured process, the college has been validated against NEF’s outcomes-focused framework which covers a wide range of factors, including strategic planning, course design and delivery, innovation and impact.

The framework also examines the college’s capability to track industry trends and involvement with local employers.

By achieving STEM Assured, Barking & Dagenham College had to demonstrate that:

• Its STEM-based training was of a consistently high quality and aligned with industry requirements
• The college was taking a multi-disciplinary approach to STEM education and learning
• Employability skills were ‘embedded’ into the curriculum
• The college was committed to continually improving its training provision to ensure that it kept pace with rapid advances in technology and the changing jobs’ market.

Barking & Dagenham College’s STEM investment programme included the opening of the Siemens Mechatronics Academy in February 2015. It is the only UK partner approved to deliver the Siemens Mechatronic Systems Certification Programme (SMSCP) to trainee engineers and to industry practitioners who want to up-skill. As well as Siemens, the college has developed a number of other strategic partnerships with leading employers.

“The training we offer to students and apprentices must be linked to the demands of the local, regional and national economies,” explained Cathy Walsh, Principal and CEO, Barking & Dagenham College. “The world of work is becoming increasingly hi-tech and employers need access to a pool of talent with excellent STEM skills.”

Picture: Barking & Dagenham College – NEFF has recognised its achievements with STEM Assured status

Article written by Cathryn Ellis | Published 18 June 2015

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