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What does it mean?
Schools, businesses and other organisations create STEM education initiatives in partnership to improve student outcomes. It’s clear that by working together, partnerships can achieve exciting opportunities and experiences for students.
Partnerships can take several forms. For example: school and business, school and VET provider, school and university, or school and community organisation. They can include excursions, incursions, mentoring, work experience or real-world STEM projects.They range from relationships between a single school and a local business, to national STEM education initiatives supported by global corporations and leading universities.
How does it help?
Partnerships allow students to access STEM learning opportunities that would be difficult for a school to provide on its own. They bring a range of benefits for students, schools and partner organisations.
Partnerships benefit students by:
- Promoting understanding of the real world of work.
- Inspiring excitement and motivation about STEM.
- Demonstrating the relevance of education for life after school.
- Equipping students with skills to succeed in life and work.
- Raising awareness of STEM career and further education opportunities.
Partnerships benefit schools by:
- Enhancing and complementing STEM curriculum content.
- Increasing access to resources.
- Building capability of school leaders and teachers in STEM knowledge and capability.
Partnerships benefit organisations by:
- Addressing current and future skill shortages by promoting STEM pathways.
- Contributing to the development of young people.
- Aligning with an organisation’s sustainability and social responsibility objectives.
- Improving community reputation and brand.
How do you do it?
Further information and guidance on effective school-business partnerships is available on the How can school and business partner for STEM education page.