What does an inclusive economy mean for our young people?
An introduction to Camden STEAM
Words by Danielle Tobin, Camden STEAM Lead at London Borough of Camden. Follow Danielle @_danielletobin
Camden is home to a burgeoning set of creative, digital and scientific industries — from the Knowledge Quarter and its concentration of life sciences and technology institutions such as the Francis Crick Institute and the Wellcome Trust, a tech sector ranging from Facebook and Google to a multitude of start-ups, creative stalwarts such as the Roundhouse, and higher education institutions including UCL and Central Saint Martins.
But what does this mean for young people growing up in or going to school in the borough? Do they walk past these institutions and feel they belong there? Do they have a sense of the huge range of jobs inside? Are they developing the skills and knowledge that will help them get there? Are their schools and youth clubs being supported with the immense knowledge, resource and innovation they’re surrounded by? Are employers really doing their bit to develop the local future workforce?
These questions are the reason we brought together a Commission of young people, headteachers, further and higher education, the youth sector, cultural institutions and businesses, who spent a year hearing evidence, debating, and creating a set of eight actionable recommendations.
A core thread that emerged was the importance of creativity, and the conviction that young people need opportunities to develop strong skills and knowledge in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) as well as high levels of creativity. We use the term STEAM to encapsulate the fusion of the sciences and the arts that we believe is so important in a Camden education.
The STEAM Commission’s recommendations centre around two key themes.
Firstly, that all young people need a range of meaningful opportunities with employers — reflecting the wide-ranging evidence on the positive impact this has on young people (from supporting informed choices and breaking down gender stereotypes, to increasing future earnings). We heard from both schools and employers that there is a real desire from each group to make this happen, but that in practice it’s tricky: each group has very different ways of working, with the added challenge that schools are incredibly time-stretched and often without the capacity to forge partnerships, whilst employers are often keen to support but don’t know where to begin or can’t get their foot in the door with schools.
Secondly, that high-quality support for schools is critical. Embedding STEAM and impactful employer links in the school curriculum, whilst challenging, can be done brilliantly, as Camden schools such as Torriano Primary School have demonstrated.
We’ve spent the last eighteen months testing recommendations that respond to these themes:
· STEAM Hub — intensively supporting schools to embed STEAM and employer partnerships in the curriculum through a two-year teacher training and leadership programme
· 21st Century Talent Pledge — mobilising businesses around a Pledge and menu of commitments, and brokering connections between businesses and schools
· STEAM Ambassadors — training business volunteers to inspire young people and support in-school activities, from industry expertise in lessons to career workshops
· Camden Challenge — providing young people with meaningful work experience through innovative business challenges
In future blogs we’ll explore what we’ve delivered, what we’ve learned, and what’s next (spoiler alert: we’re growing!). In the meantime, check out #CamdenSTEAM to see what we, our schools and employers have been up to.
