The events of this year and the continuing effects of COVID-19 (and now entering another phase of national lockdown) have made an impact on the lives of everyone across the UK. We have all had to look at new ways of working and to quickly adapt our processes to meet the challenges.

We are now taking forward lessons from this experience, not only to refine and further develop what we offer in future, but also to help us understand how we can best help teachers, schools and young people recover from this unprecedented interruption to their schooling.

This interruption has been hardest for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who are disproportionately affected by school closures. Analysis by the well-respected Education Endowment Foundation, suggests that this current situation could wipe out the progress seen over the last 10 years to close the attainment gap – a major Government concern

We are committed to working with teachers, schools, businesses and community groups to ensure these young people are supported in STEM . Now, more than ever, is the time to invest time and resources to help address this overwhelming issue and keep things moving in the right direction.

We anticipate that in the short term there will be an urgent need for a greater level of online provision, and in the medium to long term there will be the need to support schools with specific catch up programmes for pupils who have been most affected.

These lessons and adaptability in our approach will stand us in good stead when we find ourselves facing other times of challenge and uncertainty in the future - sooner rather than later with Brexit just around the corner

This panel led session will enable us all to look at how the valued partnerships we have developed can play a huge part in supporting schools to get back on track so that we can:

• understand how we can work as a collective to really make a difference to the young people we support

• adapt the way we do things so that we are still able to deliver effective engagement and projects

• share our experiences of what we have done

• hear from our panel about the various offers we have to support all those engaging with young people in STEM – their families and the wider community

We are the largest provider of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) education and careers support in the UK, bridging the gap between businesses and schools to deliver world-leading STEM education for children in, and now out, of school.

We bridge the gap between businesses and schools. By working with us to invest in teachers in local schools and colleges, employers can help deliver a world-leading STEM education, inspiring young people and building the pipeline of talent in their area, making it a win-win for everyone.

”We are currently experiencing a strange world which has made us all rethink the way we do things. The impact is not just affecting the present but also the future and now, more than at any other time, we need to work together"