STEM teaches young people how to solve problems

STEM is a model of education that develops technical skills, but more importantly, teaches how to solve problems – analyze them, use the tools available, and draw conclusions. This approach and knowledge of science subjects make young people better able to cope with the rapidly changing job market of the future.

STEM develops in young people the ability to think in terms of cause and effect and to draw conclusions from their own observations. – Young people are about to enter the job market based on a range of solutions, so the development of future competencies is crucial. In our activities, which we carry out together with investors from the region, we put a lot of emphasis on encouraging students to choose technical and scientific subjects, both at primary school and at university,” says Magdalena Okulowska, President of the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency. Research by the Bureau of Labor Statistics* (BLS) shows that the job market of the future will be most promising for people with technical and engineering backgrounds, such as programmers, biomedical scientists, chemists, environmental engineers, and science teachers. It is estimated that the number of STEM-related jobs will increase by 13% by 2027.

Employees of Wroclaw companies as role models for students 

One of the activities designed to help students choose a high school is an educational campaign – “STEM – calculate your future” – consisting of interviews with representatives of large Wroclaw manufacturing companies. Real hegemons of their industries. Among the participants are 3M, Amazon, BASF Catalysts Poland and Collins Aerospace.

Creators of innovative solutions, selling their products all over the world. But it is not the product that should inspire, but the people. – It’s easy to build a message around the “from zero to hero” model, but we wanted to go further and be more honest. That’s why we didn’t just talk to the CEOs or directors of these companies. We wanted to show how diverse these places are in terms of employment and emphasize that choosing a technical or vocational school opens the doors to factories on many levels. – emphasizes Karolina Misztal – coordinator of the campaign, Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency, and adds – Social media has great power. We want to use it for good and reach out to young people who may be hesitating all the time and need inspiration to decide which educational path to take. The videos are available in the form of short reels on the social profiles of Invest in Wroclaw and the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency. Longer interviews with company employees, who share their experiences and inspire with their stories, can also be found on the Invest in Wroclaw channel on YouTube.

Factory is a woman?  

STEM and technical careers have been saddled with many stereotypes over the years. One of these is gender, and the long-held belief that women are not suited for factory floor operations and senior engineering or leadership positions. Maintaining parity is a priority for us,” says Dominika Kawala, director of 3M’s Wroclaw facility and one of the campaign’s protagonists. – We select our team based on skills, not gender, so in our organization we have 50% women and 50% men in various positions, from operators to managers. However, there are teams, such as maintenance, where there are more men. The reason for this probably lies in the high schools, where there is a significant preponderance of boys in the classes that prepare them for these types of positions. Fortunately, this is starting to change, and although in smaller numbers, women are starting to get involved as well.

STEM develops in young people the ability to think in terms of cause and effect and to draw conclusions from their own observations. – Young people are about to enter the job market based on a range of solutions, so the development of future competencies is crucial. In our activities, which we carry out together with investors from the region, we put a lot of emphasis on encouraging students to choose technical and scientific subjects, both at primary school and at university,” says Magdalena Okulowska, President of the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency. Research by the Bureau of Labor Statistics* (BLS) shows that the job market of the future will be most promising for people with technical and engineering backgrounds, such as programmers, biomedical scientists, chemists, environmental engineers, and science teachers. It is estimated that the number of STEM-related jobs will increase by 13% by 2027.

STEM develops in young people the ability to think in terms of cause and effect and to draw conclusions from their own observations. – Young people are about to enter the job market based on a range of solutions, so the development of future competencies is crucial. In our activities, which we carry out together with investors from the region, we put a lot of emphasis on encouraging students to choose technical and scientific subjects, both at primary school and at university,” says Magdalena Okulowska, President of the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency. Research by the Bureau of Labor Statistics* (BLS) shows that the job market of the future will be most promising for people with technical and engineering backgrounds, such as programmers, biomedical scientists, chemists, environmental engineers, and science teachers. It is estimated that the number of STEM-related jobs will increase by 13% by 2027.

Employees of Wroclaw companies as role models for students 

One of the activities designed to help students choose a high school is an educational campaign – “STEM – calculate your future” – consisting of interviews with representatives of large Wroclaw manufacturing companies. Real hegemons of their industries. Among the participants are 3M, Amazon, BASF Catalysts Poland and Collins Aerospace.

Creators of innovative solutions, selling their products all over the world. But it is not the product that should inspire, but the people. – It’s easy to build a message around the “from zero to hero” model, but we wanted to go further and be more honest. That’s why we didn’t just talk to the CEOs or directors of these companies. We wanted to show how diverse these places are in terms of employment and emphasize that choosing a technical or vocational school opens the doors to factories on many levels. – emphasizes Karolina Misztal – coordinator of the campaign, Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency, and adds – Social media has great power. We want to use it for good and reach out to young people who may be hesitating all the time and need inspiration to decide which educational path to take. The videos are available in the form of short reels on the social profiles of Invest in Wroclaw and the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency. Longer interviews with company employees, who share their experiences and inspire with their stories, can also be found on the Invest in Wroclaw channel on YouTube.

Factory is a woman?

STEM and technical careers have been saddled with many stereotypes over the years. One of these is gender, and the long-held belief that women are not suited for factory floor operations and senior engineering or leadership positions. Maintaining parity is a priority for us,” says Dominika Kawala, director of 3M’s Wroclaw facility and one of the campaign’s protagonists. – We select our team based on skills, not gender, so in our organization we have 50% women and 50% men in various positions, from operators to managers. However, there are teams, such as maintenance, where there are more men. The reason for this probably lies in the high schools, where there is a significant preponderance of boys in the classes that prepare them for these types of positions. Fortunately, this is starting to change, and although in smaller numbers, women are starting to get involved as well.

STEM at the Karpacz Economic Forum

The Karpacz Economic Forum is the largest meeting platform in Central and Eastern Europe, and its international character helps to replace stereotypes with facts and form opinions based on factual exchange. Therefore, there is no better place to dispel myths about education and technical professions than the capital of the Karkonosze Mountains. In a panel discussion dedicated to this topic, representatives of companies from the region will talk about the steps their companies are taking to be more sustainable in terms of employment. How their approach to women in skilled positions has changed over the years and how much more needs to be done. There will also be a perspective from the education sector.

One of the activities designed to help students choose a high school is an educational campaign – “STEM – calculate your future” – consisting of interviews with representatives of large Wroclaw manufacturing companies. Real hegemons of their industries. Among the participants are 3M, Amazon, BASF Catalysts Poland and Collins Aerospace.

Creators of innovative solutions, selling their products all over the world. But it is not the product that should inspire, but the people. – It’s easy to build a message around the “from zero to hero” model, but we wanted to go further and be more honest. That’s why we didn’t just talk to the CEOs or directors of these companies. We wanted to show how diverse these places are in terms of employment and emphasize that choosing a technical or vocational school opens the doors to factories on many levels. – emphasizes Karolina Misztal – coordinator of the campaign, Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency, and adds – Social media has great power. We want to use it for good and reach out to young people who may be hesitating all the time and need inspiration to decide which educational path to take. The videos are available in the form of short reels on the social profiles of Invest in Wroclaw and the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency. Longer interviews with company employees, who share their experiences and inspire with their stories, can also be found on the Invest in Wroclaw channel on YouTube.

Factory is a woman?

STEM and technical careers have been saddled with many stereotypes over the years. One of these is gender, and the long-held belief that women are not suited for factory floor operations and senior engineering or leadership positions. Maintaining parity is a priority for us,” says Dominika Kawala, director of 3M’s Wroclaw facility and one of the campaign’s protagonists. – We select our team based on skills, not gender, so in our organization we have 50% women and 50% men in various positions, from operators to managers. However, there are teams, such as maintenance, where there are more men. The reason for this probably lies in the high schools, where there is a significant preponderance of boys in the classes that prepare them for these types of positions. Fortunately, this is starting to change, and although in smaller numbers, women are starting to get involved as well.

STEM at the Karpacz Economic Forum

The Karpacz Economic Forum is the largest meeting platform in Central and Eastern Europe, and its international character helps to replace stereotypes with facts and form opinions based on factual exchange. Therefore, there is no better place to dispel myths about education and technical professions than the capital of the Karkonosze Mountains. In a panel discussion dedicated to this topic, representatives of companies from the region will talk about the steps their companies are taking to be more sustainable in terms of employment. How their approach to women in skilled positions has changed over the years and how much more needs to be done. There will also be a perspective from the education sector.

The Karpacz Economic Forum is the largest meeting platform in Central and Eastern Europe, and its international character helps to replace stereotypes with facts and form opinions based on factual exchange. Therefore, there is no better place to dispel myths about education and technical professions than the capital of the Karkonosze Mountains. In a panel discussion dedicated to this topic, representatives of companies from the region will talk about the steps their companies are taking to be more sustainable in terms of employment. How their approach to women in skilled positions has changed over the years and how much more needs to be done. There will also be a perspective from the education sector.