Henry Smith MP has hailed STEM in the Park, which took place in the Memorial Gardens in Crawley town centre on Saturday 14th May, where fun activities and career information on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects were on offer to young people.
 
Henry said;
 
“It’s always good to support Crawley STEMfest and it was great to see for myself the interest generated at STEM in the Park.
 
“Events such as STEM in the Park provide a friendly environment for young people to gain an understanding of opportunities in STEM, and take part in a range of hands-on activities, as well as workshops and displays put together by scientists and engineers. My kids had a fantastic time!
 
“There are a number of employers in the Crawley area offering opportunities to young people with a knowledge of STEM subjects – let’s make sure as many of these as possible go to local students.”
 
Crawley STEMfest and the Big Bang Fair South East are organised by STEM Sussex, the STEM outreach department of the University of Brighton, in partnership with Crawley Borough Council and Central Sussex College, and the headline sponsors since its inception in 2012 have been CGG, the world’s largest geophysical company.
 
Among the other organisations involved in the day were Manor Green College, Siemens, Northbrook College, the British Society of Geomorphology and the Royal Veterinary College.
 
Scientists and engineers from local organisations were on hand to offer careers and apprenticeships advice.
 
Jo McKinney-Green, Project Manager for Crawley STEMfest, commented;

“STEM in the Park has been a hugely successful day packed full of activities, events and shows. It has highlighted the exciting career possibilities for young people and their parents, and will support local employers in their efforts to attract the best talent.
 
“There are many highly-skilled jobs in and around Crawley, but large numbers of people commute from out of town. STEM in the Park, and Crawley STEMfest in general, is a fun way of making all the family aware of the training and careers available locally.”