Year three of the Junior Engineering Engagement Programme (JEEP) by facilities management services contractor ABM UK has begun. The aim; to tackle misperceptions among children and their parents of the facilities management (FM) industry and create a pipeline of technical talent.
The programme has been delivered by ABM and partners to over 280 students since 2017. A ‘Teacher Pack’ has also been downloaded by thousands of teachers for self-delivery.
When asked about the gender perception in the FM industry following her participation in JEEP, one female student said, “At first I thought that facilities management sounded like a boys’ job. However, after doing the sessions I really enjoyed it and would love a job in it! It’s definitely not a gender specific job!”
Supported by education delivery partner, The Transformation Trust, ABM UK will take the immersive lessons into 12 new schools, reaching new students in London, Leeds, Manchester and Bradford. Running from November 2019 to March 2020, year three will see over 250 take part.
ABM UK director, Adam Baker, says: “The past two years have been a huge success, going from 32 students in year one to over 250 in year three is fantastic. Targeting schools in ‘opportunity areas’ has been a huge focus – we want to ensure all young people have the same opportunities to learn about the variety of paths to success available to them…university is not the only way!”
A teacher pack is available to all teachers to download on the JEEP microsite and Times Education Supplement. Created for use in secondary schools, the pack incorporates all teachers need; experiment guides, equipment lists, presentations and worksheets. These resources are designed to be delivered in schools over four full days. When asked for feedback, teachers agreed that their students were more interested in learning skills in STEM following their involvement.
Adam Baker added: “Research from final module surveys revealed that there was a 14% increase in students considering engineering and facilities management as a career and a 24% rise in the understanding and importance of apprenticeships.
“Seeing feedback like this shows us that the programme is working. Our goal is to change perceptions of apprenticeships and the FM industry across the UK and we’re in it for the long haul!”
Cate Smith, Senior Programme Manager at the Transformation Trust says: “We are so pleased to be working with ABM UK on year three of the JEEP. Last year, we saw huge success with the nine participating schools and received incredibly positive feedback across the board in our end of project evaluations.
“Our hope is that the continuing success of the JEEP can pave the way for other initiatives like this, and ultimately support the FM industry in closing the skills gap. Initiatives like this are a great way to introduce young people to a new interest through fun, curriculum-linked activities and experiments. It’s our job to deliver the JEEP in the most engaging way possible and to ensure the students leave excited about their potential future in FM!”
Visit www.jeep-abm.org.
