Date: 2 July 2014 : 17:30 - 19:30
Join us at the launch and reception of
Inventing the Future Report
on 2 July at the Royal Society of Chemistry at 5:30 PM
Inventing the Future, this new report from the NEF, presents the views of science, engineering and technology companies of all sizes, working across a variety of sectors. It assesses how industry and institutions can work together to build genuine value into courses, creating a learning ecosystem that will empower students, drive innovation and stimulate growth.
BACKGROUND: Technology and the workplace
Technology is disrupting most STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) sectors and is and the pace of change is accelerating.
The internet of things and cloud computing have transformed many industries: in coming decades areas such as robotics, digital fabrication, biotechnology and genomics will further revolutionise the way we live and work
The requirement for more sophisticated understanding of IT and mathematics is also creeping into jobs that were considered arts-based. (Graphics designers in gaming companies, for example, increasingly need a good grasp of maths)
In coming years, the impact of technology on the traditional professions such as medicine and law will have the same disruptive effect on employment as bringing robots into factories did decades ago
The boundaries between traditional sciences are dissolving: the most exciting innovations are taking place at the interface of different disciplines, such as nanotechnology and biomimetics
Manufacturers around the world are increasingly adopting disruptive technology (such as 3D printing for building prototypes)and scouring the world for the most innovative workers
The UK urgently needs to overhaul its STEM strategy in further and higher education to create a generation of technologists that can embrace – and thrive in- rapid change
It is important to develop a generation technologists that are –
Flexible and able to adapt to rapidly changing technology
Collaborative and creative
Able to work in different sectors
have multi-disciplinary skills
Combine technical skills with a better understanding of business
Failure to do so will dampen the UK’s culture of innovation and could put economic growth at risk over the longer term
This poses an enormous challenge for our education system: how do we prepare students in a landscape that is constantly evolving, for a future that is difficult to predict?
Agenda
5:30pm – 6:00pm |
Drinks Reception and Networking |
6:00pm – 6:10pm |
Opening Remarks by Baroness Verma, Minister, DECC |
6:10 pm – 6:20pm
|
The Future: Through the Technology Lens Michael LeGoff, CEO, Plessey Semiconductors |
6:20pm – 6:45 pm |
Inventing the Future: Report overview and recommendations |
6:45pm – 7:25pm |
Panel Discussion |
7:25 pm – 8:30pm |
Dinner Reception |
The report will be launched by Baroness Verma of Leicester, Minister for Energy and Climate Change 2nd July 2014, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM.
We will be creating a useful debate to inspire change in the way in which we currently address STEM skills development in the UK, so we ask you to join the debate and put your questions to the Panel:
Some of the ideas that will be covered on the day will include:
Q1: The research advocates the creation of Regional Polytechnics, which would offer a vertically integrated provision from the age of 14. What might these Polytechnics look like? How will they work? How will they ensure stakeholder engagement? How will their success be measured?
Q2: What should the learning habitat of the future look like, and how do we ensure that we get there? How could we harness technology to create a genuinely adaptive and flexible learning habitat? How could Regional Polytechnics exploit their industrial links to create learning habitats that will influence and shape the workplaces of the future? What should Government interventions be to ensure sustainable provision?
Q3: Do present and emerging technologies mean that we all need to have a bag of technology skills? And if so, what will this mean for industry occupations? How could educational providers embrace the Internet of Things to develop student confidence and accelerate the embedding of cross-disciplinary technology skills?
Q4: The Research advocates “Design for Learning”. How could it be used to influence design and delivery and improve outcomes for students? What interventions and support mechanisms could Government and industry offer to power the “Design for Learning” concept?
The Royal Society of Chemistry,
Burlington House,
Piccadilly,
London W1J 0BA