Semiconductor workshops spark imagination of Welsh school students

It was a joint effort from two industry organisations: the Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult and the UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF).

The students were from Wales and visited Welsh universities to learn about the many opportunities of studying and working in the field of electronics.

As part of the project, 24 bursaries of £2,500 were awarded to students set to study electronics-related courses at university in September.

Free school resources to help teachers explain and promote electronics have also been sent to 40 schools in 34 different towns and cities across Wales.

Workshops

The workshops have been part of a larger project dubbed ‘Spark their imagination; power their future’. This programme is funded by Innovate UK and aimed at encouraging more young people in Wales to start a career in the electronics industry.

“The purpose of this programme is to inspire the next generation of engineers and raise the profile of our industry,” said Alex Leadley, Skills Academy manager at the CSA Catapult. “We are facing a workforce shortage, so we need to have interventions in place which will educate and inform young people about the opportunities that are available to them.”

“This project addresses that, but also offers information and resources to teachers and schools, careers information and opportunities to hear from industry as well as education, and crucially, it offers financial support to learners who want to go on to further study. This multi-faceted approach will hopefully be a strong foundation for Wales to build upon and be an excellent case study for what could be implemented across the UK.”

Engineering

During their visits the students heard keynote talks from leading academics who spoke about their route into engineering and the different roles they’ve had throughout their careers.

Students also visited high-technology labs and measured the movement of light, built circuits and learned about simulation design.

“I’ve been so pleased with the enormous interest in our collaborative Spark their Imagination programme this year,” added Stewart Edmondson, the UKESF’s CEO.

“These in-person workshops have been great. The host universities have all been fantastically supportive and helped us deliver successful events. As well as the students themselves, it has been so valuable to involve teachers as their participation means that we should be able to sustain engagement in semiconductors at Welsh schools and colleges.”

You can find some of the teaching resources that supported the Spark their Imagination programme online.

CSA & UKESF

The CSA Catapult is the official UK authority on compound semiconductor applications and their commercialisation.

A centre of excellence, it specialises in the measurement, characterisation, integration and validation of compound semiconductor technology across four areas: power electronics, advanced packaging, radio frequency (RF) and microwave, and photonics.

The UKESF is an educational charity established in 2010. It works to tackle the UK’s skills shortage for semiconductor design and manufacture. Its worl involves a range of education Electronics-focused activities, projects and teacher training.

We've been so pleased with the enormous interest in our collaborative 'Spark their Imagination' programme for school students in Wales.

Read the article from @CSACatapult below to find out more about this fantastic project… https://t.co/1GDNqJKXfo

— UKESF (@theUKESF) August 14, 2024

See also: UKESF, Apple strengthen ‘Girls into Electronics’ partnership