NEP Connect took part in a local outreach programme, visiting Hazeley Academy near their Milton Keynes office. Samantha Harrison and Marley Forrester visited this local school to deliver a STEAM presentation to around 50 students, looking to inspire them to undertake a career in the broadcast industry, as part of the schools STEAM initiative. STEAM initiatives cover science, technology, engineering, arts, and maths. The purpose of the programme is to see what opportunities NEP Connect can offer and to provide insight into a potential career within the broadcast industry.

The presentation showcased options for the students once they finish secondary school, offering various routes through A Levels, College, and/or University plus professional exams and the numerous career paths that can be undertaken afterwards. The programme also invited other businesses from the local area to show the students that the opportunities to undertake these roles sit right on their doorstep.

One of the main messages of the outreach programme is the huge number of career paths available across many different industries underneath the broad heading of STEAM.   

Samantha Harrison, Finance Director at NEP Connect, said “This event was a fantastic opportunity to highlight several different career paths that encompass STEAM subjects.  Not only were we able to explain who we are as a business, we also talked through several different career options within our industry and how they apply to STEAM. Thank you, Hazeley, for inviting us!”

One of the key talking points of the presentation included a case study to contextualise how we bring content to life. The students were walked through NEP Connect’s involvement in the Aer Lingus Cup, which took place in Dublin in August 2022 and required many different departments and parts of NEP to collaborate to ensure the production was planned and delivered smoothly.

Marley Forrester, Marketing Coordinator for NEP UK and Ireland, said "Yesterday was a valuable experience, something new for me to experience and definitely a confidence booster for public speaking next time. The students seemed really interested in understanding what we do, and I think events like this are important for helping students discover their options when it comes to careers.Thanks to Hazeley for inviting us and for hosting such a well-organised event!"

STEAM-based education, and more commonly quoted STEM-based education, teaches students more than science and mathematics concepts. The focus on hands-on learning with real-world applications helps develop a variety of skill sets, relevant to the ever-changing world we live in.

Preparing students to become innovative and critical thinkers begins with STEM programmes in the modern education curriculum. Summer camps, after school programs and makerspaces provide opportunities to take the traditional learning model of a textbook, a desk and a classroom and pivot it to prioritize the hands-on experience and real-world application necessary for developing a creative mind capable of problem solving.