What plans does the Cabinet Secretary have to increase the number of high-skilled jobs in north Wales, along with the concurrent development of relevant education provision, particularly in the STEM subjects?
The Advanced Materials & Manufacturing sector has a dedicated Equality & Diversity budget to enable businesses to take part in school STEM engagement projects that encourage young people, particularly girls, to consider STEM related careers. To date we have supported the Ford Saturday Club in Bridgend, an annual all girls cohort of the Airbus Industrial Cadets and the Raytheon Quadcopter challenge. These projects raise awareness of well paid career opportunities in skilled engineering roles within the sector.
Raytheon, with Welsh Government financial support, officially opened their Hangar 119 facility on 30 March 2017. The Company's expansion enables them to create highly skilled jobs for North Wales. Raytheon has created around 60 jobs in Broughton over the past 18 months and could need a further 200 over the next three years.
I recognise the teaching of STEM subjects in school is vital if we are to increase the flow of high-level skills into the Welsh economy. Our STEM in Education Delivery Plan (March 2016) sets out a range of actions in this area, linked to our education reform programme, including a new suite of science GCSEs introduced for first teaching in September 2016. Our reforms also include a new curriculum, currently under development, which will see a new Science and Technology Area of Learning and Experience.
A new National Network for Excellence in Science and Technology (NNEST) will better support our teaching workforce, with an investment of over £4 million. The NNEST will play a leading role in supporting teachers and learners aged 3 to 19 with a focus on professional learning provision, enhancing access to global research and so providing practitioners with up-to-date knowledge and skills.
Central to our work going forward, I am keen that we engage greater numbers of girls in STEM subjects. Building on the theme in our STEM in Education Plan, we are working to address the education actions in the Talented Women for a Successful Wales report, with improved gender balance in STEM subjects and STEM-related professional learning.