Job-seekers and adult learners are developing their skills in science, technology and maths at the UK’s first community-based LEGO ® Education Innovation Studio in North Wales. The studio was opened earlier this year and is the brainchild of community interest company, G2G Communities, which has been providing training and education for out-of-work people in Alongside a range of educational and employability programmes, the studio is providing learners with a unique environment to develop skills and knowledge in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) - subjects that have been recognised as a priority This is due to the estimated shortfall of 40,000 STEM qualified individuals each year and an average of just 19 per cent of women entering STEM related employment. Since setting up the organisation in 2011, over 1,500 people have taken part in programmes from improving basic skills in literacy and numeracy to support in starting their own
Key to the organisation's development has been its access to European funding through WCVA's Engagement Gateway project. Gateway funding has enabled G2G to run programmes specifically targeted at long-term unemployed people, over 50s and women, which have helped participants achieve a range of qualifications and get Tony McCleary and Gail Edwards have taken part in Engagement Gateway programmes and credit G2G with putting them on track to a Tony, 53, from Prestatyn, said: 'I've been out of work for a long time after previously having the same job for 25 years. result I lost a lot of confidence and wasn't sure how I was going to get it back. 'I started out with two days a week to improve my maths and to help me with job interviews and it's been brilliant. confidence back and I feel much more positive about my job prospects after doing courses here. 'My wife has also noticed a difference in the way I am at home
because I'm a lot happier and more optimistic now. It's had a big impact on my life.' Gail, 44, from St Asaph, added: 'I have a rare health disorder which can be very debilitating and resulted in me having to give up 'Coming here has been great because the pace of learning is right and the Lego innovation is cutting edge and a fantastic way to develop your skills. 'I've also began college courses in English and Maths because I want to get back into the work environment. It's step by step, and they've given me the encouragement to do it.' G2G Communities was set up by Bill and Moira Lockitt who were formally teachers and educational researchers - and now employs 10 people at the Innovation Centre in Rhyl. 'We are passionate about learning and education and we wanted to help people, some of whom are living in the areas of highest 'Having lived in the area for almost 40 years, we know what the problems are in Rhyl and how they are often failing to be
'So we decided we would do something about it and create the sort of learning environment that would help people feel better about themselves and achieve what they want to achieve. 'Through our Gateway programmes, we've identified gaps in the market and the number of people that have come through our doors in such a short space of time is testament to that. 'Whether it's qualifications, further learning or employment weOne of our adult learners is now doing a degree 'The LEGO ® Innovation Studio came about through research in the area that Bill was undertaking on behalf of the Open 'It's taken two years to conceptualise, research and launch and we're extremely proud that the only community-based LEGO ® Education Innovation Studio in the UK is here in North Wales. 'It has brought a fantastic brand and multinational organisationWe've taken the technology to schools in the area and it's been a massive hit. 'We're also going to be moving adult learners who shine at the
science and maths aspects onto specific courses at Glyndwr University, so it can be fantastic pathway to careers in areas like G2G Communities is currently working in partnership with Lego, Agored, Learndirect and the British Computer Society to develop accredited courses in science, technology and maths through Lego The courses are planned for launch in 2014 and will be some of the first in the UK to use Lego as a central resource. 'It's an immensely exciting project', added Moira. regret is that we didn't do this years ago because it is genuine innovation that will break new ground in adult learning.' Tessa White, Engagement Gateway project manager at WCVA, commented: 'Gateway is funding organisations to work with people whose circumstances often make them unlikely to respond to 'This is a fantastic example of what the project is all about. There is no question that this type of innovation and flexible approach is effective in meeting the differing circumstances,
interests, and abilities of people that have become disconnectedA woman applying for a tenure-track faculty position in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) at a U.S. university is twice as likely to be hired as an equally qualified man, if both candidates are highly qualified, according to a new study. The results run counter to widely held perceptions and suggest that this is a good time for women to be pursuing academic careers. Some observers, however, say that the study—which involved actual faculty members rating hypothetical candidates—may not be relevant to real-world hiring. And they worry the results may leave the incorrect impression that universities have achieved gender parity in STEM fields. Still, the “important” results will spark “a lot of discussion,” predicts psychologist Virginia Valian of Hunter College in New York City. “It will definitely make people think more thoroughly and more subtly” about the issue. In previous research, the authors, psychologists Wendy Williams and Stephen Ceci of Cornell University, found that men and women generally fare equally well once they are hired into tenure-track positions (although some critics have challenged those findings).
For this study, the researchers focused on the hiring phase. It “is a key juncture in understanding the problem of women’s underrepresentation” on STEM faculties, they wrote in an e-mail. To better understand hiring dynamics, the researchers invented three hypothetical candidates for an assistant professorship: an extremely well-qualified woman, an extremely well-qualified man, and a slightly less qualified man. Then, they wrote a job application summary for each candidate. It included a description of a search committee’s impression of the candidate, quotes from letters of recommendation, and an overall score for the candidate’s job talk and interview. In the last step, they asked 873 tenure-track faculty members from four fields, randomly selected from institutions across the United States, to rank the candidates. The group included an approximately equal number of men and women. Overall, raters in most fields were twice as likely to tag the woman as the best candidate, the researchers report online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The one exception was economics, where male raters showed a slight preference for the well-qualified male candidate. Williams and Ceci say they were shocked when they saw how much better the woman fared. And although they did not investigate the potential causes of the outcome, they suspect it may be due to some combination of successful training programs about gender and hiring, a growing belief that gender balance among STEM faculty is important, and the retirement of older faculty. The authors also investigated how a candidate’s marital and family status influenced ratings. They varied the description of the candidates, making them single or married, childless or parents. Some had working spouses, others did not. In general, these factors did not change the outcome. Again, however, there was one exception. Rating differences did arise when they described the female candidate as having had a child during graduate school. Male raters preferred a candidate who took a 1-year parental leave, whereas female raters preferred the one who did not take a leave.
University of Mississippi, Oxford, business school management professor H. Kristl Davison found this result particularly intriguing. “I almost wonder if there’s a bit of paternalism going on” from the male raters, she says. “It also made me wonder if there’s a female bias present in terms of, ‘I struggled through grad school without taking leave; I think others should do so as well.’ Some worry that the study does not sufficiently take into account the many factors at play in hiring decisions. “My major concern is really the generalizability of this, whether what they found … would translate to the real world,” Davison says. “That’s the ultimate question.” Potential bias may arise even earlier in the hiring process, she and others note, before candidates even make it to the final selection round. Men and women can be perceived differently during preliminary interviews, for instance, based on personality traits that have nothing to do with their qualifications or potential for success.
The new study, however, focuses only on “a very specific and late point in the game,” Valian says. “We need to understand the subtleties of evaluation at each stage in the process. Right now we have fragments of data that tell us about different parts of the process, but we don’t have a good picture of how it all fits together.” Others object to the authors’ assertion that men and women fare the same after hiring. “I think it’s fair to say that the women who have run the gauntlet and gotten advanced STEM degrees will find the labor market quite welcoming if they choose to seek employment in academic STEM jobs,” writes Jennifer Glass, a sociologist at the University of Texas, Austin, in an e-mail. “What happens once they are there is another matter entirely.” She says studies suggest that women still have higher attrition rates in some STEM careers. Despite apparent good news in the findings, “I think it’s too soon to say, ‘OK, problem solved,’ ” Valian says. “