TWO upcoming events aimed at promoting skills and education have been welcomed by South Lakeland District Council.
The events – UlverSTEM in Ulverston on Saturday November 9 and Kendal College’s SkillsFest 2019 on Saturday November 23 – are being supported by SLDC as part of its commitment to promote career opportunities and help build people’s financial resilience in the area.
Last year’s inaugural UlverSTEM – aimed at giving youngsters aged between six and 16 and their families the chance to find out what is on offer in the district in terms of continuing education and future careers in the STEM subjects – attracted over 2,000 visitors.
This year at the Coronation Hall and the Laurel and Hardy Museum,, youngsters can find out more about artificial intelligence (AI), meet a robot, try their hand at virtual reality, ride the liquid nitrogen rollercoaster or just learn more about how much fun science, technology, engineering and maths can be.
Over 35 organisations – many of them among the world’s leading technological businesses – will be exhibiting, including firms such as Oxley, GSK, Siemens, Bender UK, Chris Brammall, FETL, Kimberly Clark, NHS, Cumbria Constabulary and LA12 Ltd who will all be on hand throughout the day, along with C-STEM, Ulverston Victoria High School (UVHS) and Furness College.
Later in the month, SkillFest South Lakes 2019 will be an impartial careers and skills event for college students and school pupils.
Last year, 800 people attended from across Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire. The event will be hosted at the Milnthorpe Road campus, with interactive stalls from employers, voluntary organisations, universities, colleges and training providers celebrating transferable, academic and vocationally specific skills.
Some of the confirmed exhibitors include Lancaster University, Manchester Metropolitan University, Newton Rigg College and UCLAN, as well as Mountain Goat, Outward Bound Trust, Royal Navy, Kimberly Clark, English Lakes Hotels, Kendal Care Home. Whinfell Forest and Action for Wellbeing.
Councillor Robin Ashcroft, South Lakeland District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy, Culture and Leisure, said: “Partners in the SLDC-led Building Financial Resilience collaboration have made great strides in identifying and tackling the causes and impacts of poverty in the district, and increasing access to skills and education – including events like these – plays an absolutely crucial part of unlocking people’s potential to succeed.
“South Lakeland is home to many internationally-renowned businesses and top-class experts working in areas like education, manufacturing and health and it is wonderful to see so many of them inspiring our young people to think about the wide range of opportunities open to them. Local careers education is vital in retaining our young people and providing the necessary future workforce for our businesses.“
One of the organisers, Jayne Moorby from Oxley Group, said: “The organisers are delighted to bring UlverSTEM back for 2019, we have lots of the most popular activities returning from last year as well as loads of new attractions. We’ve added the Laurel and Hardy museum as an additional venue with a programme of talks and demonstrations to inspire youngsters in STEM subjects. It promises to be a great fun and educational day as well as an opportunity for young people and their families to find out what is on offer in the South Lakes and Furness in terms of STEM opportunities and future careers.”
Kendal College principal Kelvin Nash said: “Kendal College are proud to host the SkillsFest for a second time in the South Lakes area. Last year’s event was a huge success, and this year we will look to make the event bigger and better. The event brings together a number of high profile employers, support agencies and voluntary organisations, and put them in touch with a pool of talented people, that could become their employees of the future. It promises to be a great day.”
UlverSTEM will be held at the Coronation Hall in Ulverston on Saturday 9 November from 9am until 4pm. Find out more on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/UlverSTEM/ or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/StemUlver
SkillsFest 2019 takes place at Kendal College’s Milnthorpe Road Campus on Saturday 23 November from 10am until 3pm. Find out more at https://kendal.ac.uk/open-events/231119
