CityFibre has committed £150,000 over three years to STEM Learning. The investment will benefit more than 80 schools across the UK, including eight in Norfolk.
This will support communities as part of the Project Gigabit footprint, where CityFibre is connecting more than 1.3 million homes and businesses across rural or hard-to-reach areas over the next five years.
One of these modules, Computing Clusters, launches this month and will be delivered by the National Centre for Computing Education – a Department for Education funded programme provided by STEM Learning as part of its wide portfolio. Being part of a Computing Cluster will enable participating schools’ staff to work together and provide computing education skills to their pupils.
The eight Cluster schools taking part are: Jane Austen College, Duke of Lancaster School, Wayland Academy, Great Yarmouth Charter Academy, Cromer Academy, The Thetford Academy, King Edward VII Academy and Hewett Academy. They will be supported by professional development leaders to achieve the Computing Quality Mark for their computing curriculum and will be able to collaborate with each other to share successes and change challenges into opportunities.
Earlier this year, CityFibre announced that the partnership will also offer additional key stage 1 and 2 resources through Explorify, available to all teachers nationwide, and create opportunities for students to explore and understand careers in STEM. CityFibre employees will also volunteer as STEM Ambassadors to host assemblies and webinars to educate young people on career paths within the industry.
It's estimated that by 2030, there will be a shortage of around one million engineers across the UK. Historically, there have been barriers for young people to thrive in STEM subjects, such as lack of confidence in STEM subjects or lack of extra support in these subjects, and subsequently, STEM careers have seen a decline in interest amongst young people. CityFibre, with STEM Learning, aims to address these challenges by showcasing how enriching and accessible STEM careers can be.
This partnership with STEM Learning is a key component of CityFibre's broader ESG initiative, reflecting its dedication to social responsibility by investing in the education and future of young people.
Stacey King, senior partnership manager at CityFibre, said, "Our Project Gigabit build in Norfolk is progressing fantastically and we are delighted to be engaging with these local schools through the launch of the Computing Clusters. We believe in the power of technology and education to transform lives, and, with this partnership, we aim to help these schools in Norfolk bridge the digital skills gap and help inspire the next generation of digital innovators to pursue a career in STEM.
“Our partnership with STEM Learning underlines CityFibre's social value commitments and, as part of the Project Gigabit programme, we are investing in the future and equipping young people with the skills they need to thrive in a digital world."
Mayaz Rahman, STEM Learning’s head of fundraising, said, “CityFibre’s very welcome and generous donation to STEM Learning’s ENTHUSE Charitable Trust allows us to work together on this dynamic three-year plan to transform the prospects and outlook of thousands of young people.
“Primary, secondary and SEN pupils will soon feel the many benefits through improved teaching, access to equipment and links to inspiring and supportive computing professionals through the STEM Ambassador scheme. I’m really excited to see the short-term and long-term impact that this partnership will have.”
In the coming months, CityFibre will also invest in local biodiversity programmes and establish community funds.