ACSEF (Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future) will go back to school on Tuesday (24 May) when it hosts the third event in a series for teachers designed to equip them with practical information about the local economy and the career opportunities within it for young people.

This week’s event is for STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) teachers from schools in Aberdeen City and Shire. It will provide first-hand information on how these subjects are used in energy, life science and food and drink companies to demonstrate the real life applications for what is being taught in the classrooms.

The half day seminar will feature presentations from leading engineers and scientists currently working in local companies and using these subjects to deliver highly innovative solutions to the complex challenges of producing oil and gas and developing new technologies in alternative energy.

The series of seminars launched by the public private sector partnership aims to engage local schools in the development of the economy by promoting understanding of the skills required by local companies and helping to encourage more young people to remain in the region by highlighting the attractive career prospects.

Melfort Campbell, the champion for ACSEF’s work in skills development said: “This seminar is a crucial step in our aim of bringing together local businesses and schools to achieve mutually beneficial results for the region’s future success.

“Local companies need young people coming into the workplace with the right skills if they are to compete on a global stage. Our schools need to know what is required by industry. This event is a logical way of joining the dots.

The agenda for the day will include information on creating STEM pathways into Oil and Gas from a representative of OPITO,  updates from both Techfest and the British Science Festival, as well as presentations from Clinical Stage Biotechnology company, NovaBiotics, Independent food ingredients manufacturer, MacPhie of Glenbervie and the Head of Physics at Robert Gordon’s College.  The seminar will be rounded up with an Open Forum facilitated by Fifth Dimension.

The free event will take place at Satrosphere Science Centre, Aberdeen on 24 May 2011 from 1.30-4pm.