About STEM Journeys
STEM Journeys is a 5-year programme supporting 15 state-funded secondary schools to build coherent, high-quality STEM careers provision. By following one year group from year 7 to year 11, we are exploring how sustained, tailored support can influence young people’s aspirations, subject choices, attainment and post-16 destinations.
STEM Journeys has been running since autumn 2025 and is delivered in partnership with City & Guilds Foundation. We're working together to fund schools in 4 regions: the North East, Gloucestershire, London and Hertfordshire.
We worked with 4 Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) hubs to identify schools that would benefit the most from participating in the programme. Each school receives an annual £2,000 bursary and a bespoke 5-year careers engagement plan shaped around its priorities, existing provision and capacity. The programme supports a whole year group, not only students who are already interested in STEM.
15
state-funded secondary schools
5 years
of sustained support - from year 7 to year 11
£2,000
annual bursary for each school
2,520
young people in the target year group across participating schools
What we've learned
In our first year, we spoke to all 15 schools about what helps or prevents them from delivering sustained STEM careers activity. Every school was committed to careers education, but most described 3 or more barriers at once, and some described up to 8. Almost every school raised the challenge of extending work experience to younger year groups under the new equalex model. Other common barriers included:
staff capacity, confidence and buy-in
low parental engagement or knowledge of STEM routes
thin or unpredictable links with local employers
the practical challenge of reaching a whole year group
These conversations showed that the barriers cannot be addressed in isolation. They highlighted 4 wider lessons about the support schools need to plan and deliver sustained STEM careers engagement.
Funding alone is not enough
The bursary helps schools cover the direct cost of activities, but our first year showed that money is only one part of the solution. Careers Leaders also need time and practical support to manage logistics and coordinate delivery. In 12 of the 15 schools, careers leadership sits alongside another role - only 3 have a full-time careers lead.
One model will not work for every school
Schools often face similar barriers, but these play out differently depending on their size, location, facilities, staffing and local employer network. Rural schools may face higher transport costs and fewer nearby employers. Larger schools can struggle to find activities that reach a whole year group. This means support needs to start with the school’s context rather than a fixed menu of activities.
Early planning makes opportunities more accessible
Schools need enough lead time to fit activities around the curriculum, staffing, safeguarding and other commitments. Straightforward booking processes and clear information about costs, group sizes and delivery requirements make it easier for teachers and Careers Leaders to decide whether an opportunity is workable.
Repeated engagement can build trust
Students may engage more readily with people and organisations they encounter more than once. Connecting activities across several years can reinforce messages, deepen understanding of STEM pathways and give young people repeated opportunities to see how learning links to future careers.
For employers and outreach providers: what to think about when delivering outreach for schools
think about whether activities on offer can reach whole year groups and be done in-school, or if they can be adapted to do so. Off-site visits are often out of reach for large cohorts or schools with limited space
make sure the steps involved in booking an activity or collaborating with you are simple and clear
amplify your impact by engaging with the same schools on a regular basis. Some students engage much more with people they see more than once and have come to trust
there is strong demand for workplace encounters for students in years 7 to 9. However, few employers are offering them, particularly in rural areas
How we are evaluating impact
STEM Journeys is designed to build evidence over time. We are tracking change for individual students and at whole-school level across 4 main outcomes:
young people’s career aspirations and readiness
key stage 4 subject choices
key stage 4 attainment
post-16 destinations
From 2026/27, a comparison group of schools will help us understand what difference the programme may be making alongside wider changes in schools and the careers landscape.
Working in partnership
STEM Journeys is delivered by EngineeringUK, with thanks to funding from City & Guilds Foundation. We work with Careers and Enterprise Company Hubs and participating schools to combine national evidence with local knowledge.
By sharing what we learn, we aim to help schools, employers, funders, Careers Hubs and the wider STEM outreach community design support that is sustained, inclusive and realistic for schools to deliver.
