National STEM Day: Mathys & Squire collaborates with UK Electronics Skills Foundation to spotlight careers in electronics

8 November marks National STEM Day – a time to celebrate the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects at school. As a firm that supports technologically innovative clients with IP legal advice, we need attorneys who understand a wide range of different technologies. We acknowledge there are too few young people studying STEM subjects at higher education.

Our commitment to inspiring students to choose STEM careers led us to the UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF), a charity we have now been working with for over four years.

Since 2012, over 600 engineering undergraduates have participated in the UKESF Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme, with work placements being provided by 65 different companies. Of those that have graduated, 91% are engaged in the electronics and technology sector. In addition to scholarships and work placements, UKESF also works with schools and universities to raise awareness, support students during their studies, and promote inclusion and diversity amongst them. To celebrate National STEM Day 2021, together with UKESF we have outlined four examples of the opportunities available to you should you choose to pursue a STEM subject education.

Power to shape the future

Living in a world full of technology encourages young innovators to keep researching, working, and creating. Our daily lives are increasingly impacted by technological innovations, such as smart phones, electric vehicles, robots and the Internet of Things, which all have one thing in common: they depend on electronics. Having the knowledge and skillset to develop the next ground-breaking technological advancement can equip you with power to shape the future.

Power to impact society

Studying STEM subjects can open many doors and introduce you to some of the most rewarding career routes – from saving lives in hospital, to researching vaccines or teaching the next generation. Choosing a career in electronics can enable you to work on the latest technological advances that will solve problems and make people’s lives better or allow you to become a patent attorney who helps to provide the protection for those innovations, and hence encourage the investment required to turn those ideas into products that can make a real societal difference.

Power to self-develop

Pursuing a STEM education equips you with transferable skills, which you can use to excel in professional and private life, including attention to detail, determination, problem-solving, critical thinking, resilience and communication. Such skills will not only make you an outstanding candidate for a STEM-related role, but also any other career you wish to follow.

Power to be in the driving seat of your career

The demand for skilled scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians is constantly increasing, as the world relies more heavily on their research and work. With the electronics industry in the UK growing extremely quickly and accounting for more than 6% of the nation’s GDP, electronics is an intellectually stimulating, and financially rewarding, career path to follow if stability, growth and development are important.

The benefits associated with education and careers in STEM go far beyond those mentioned above. In an article for Electronics Weekly, five of our attorneys have shared their experience of studying electronics or physics and how that led them to becoming patent attorneys. Along with the UKESF, our mission is to encourage more young people to consider these careers, by providing them with the skills and support they need to succeed. If a career in electronics is of interest to you, get in touch with UKESF to explore how they can help you take the first steps.