The role of STEM Ambassadors across our nation is sadly not as well known in Parliament as it needs to be. There are around 30,000 people across the UK who work or have worked in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and are registered to promote this area of expertise to potential students and workers. They do so as volunteers or on behalf of their companies in a bid to strengthen their field of work. It is deeply frustrating when MPs ask questions about STEM issues, usually directed at the Department for Education and STEM Ambassadors are not mentioned. This is because the Government is one of the partners in the STEM Ambassadors and should therefore remember to promote this important piece of work. However in a recent exchange that took place in the House of Commons, it was the Labour Party who disclosed their ignorance. Chi Onwurah is the MP for Newcastle Upon Tyne but also the Shadow Minister for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Her question directed at Amber Rudd in her role as Minister for Women and Equalities was:

In order to choose STEM subjects at university, girls need to have seen what fantastic careers STEM and engineering can offer. I know that many engineering companies want to go into schools and show that, but there is no co-ordination and no signposting of how they can do that. Will the Minister commit to ensuring that there is a central point where companies and schools can come together to get engineering into girls’ lives?

The truth is that whichever companies Chi has been speaking to are clearly out of touch with the work of the STEM Ambassadors which are promoted in her region via the RTC (Regional Technology Centre) for the North East and Cumbria. Based in Sunderland, they may be on the wrong side of the Tyne as far as the Newcastle Companies are concerned but they are within easy distance of Chi’s constituency. The answer from Amber did however explain something of the role of STEM Ambassadors:

I agree with the hon. Lady that young women need to see the benefits of studying STEM subjects, because then they can see the huge range of options opening up to them in the modern world. In fact, we have an ambassadors programme, to which 30,000 ambassadors are signed up, who go into schools and provide just the sort of inspiration that is needed.

So all that is missing now is a commitment by Chi to meet up with Gordon Ollivere MBE and introduce him to the businesses she has been in contact with.