Last week marked the return of STEMFest to the Yorkshire and Humber region for its second consecutive year, a vibrant three-day celebration of STEM that captivated the imagination of thousands.
The event, organised by the STEM Hub, delivered by RTC North, took place at the Life Centre, Bradford and welcomed approximately 3,000 schoolchildren, offering an immersive and hands-on exhibition featuring over 50 exhibitors.
Themed zones including - Space/ Travel, Technology/ Cyber, Sustainability/ Well-being and Manufacturing offered engaging activities led by industry professionals and real-life STEM role models. These experiences aimed to spark curiosity and offer young attendees a glimpse into the exciting possibilities within STEM careers.
The festival opened with a dynamic business breakfast networking event, hosted by Ruth Amos. It featured insightful and thought-provoking speeches about the importance of STEM for the region’s future. Esteemed guest speakers included: Jamie Ollivere (RTC North), Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe from Bradford Council and John Clarke, Executive Director, Research and Development at Cummins. Ruth Amos kicked off the main exhibition by inviting students on stage for a Guinness World Record inspired challenge to create the fastest toilet roll mummy. The audience erupted with laughter and cheers, setting a lively tone for the days ahead.
Beyond the main exhibition, the festival featured a variety of workshops, designed to broaden students’ understanding of the diverse career paths available within STEM. These activities included an Immersive Experience Planetarium that simulates a journey through space and a Mars Mapping activity hosted by Jim Christensen, former Director of Education at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Also, CyberFirst ran three activities including a Cyber Heist challenge that simulates a real-world cyber mission, an Operation Enigma workshop, introducing cryptography through history and logic puzzles as well as a Trailblazers activity which showcased how technology is used in the workplace and discussing diverse career pathways in cyber careers. Adding to the festival spirit a fan favourite from last year also returned – the much-loved mascot ‘Turbo Ted’ from Cummins who were supporters of the event.
The first day concluded with the women in STEM network meeting, which provided an inspiring platform to celebrate female achievement in the field and spotlight future opportunities for women across Yorkshire.
Jamie Ollivere, Chief Executive RTC North commented,
“‘Last week the Government launched its Modern Industrial Strategy - an ambitious 10-year plan to put technological innovation and the industries of the future at the heart of the UK economy.
Quite rightly skills featured heavily in that plan, but we need to start engaging young people now, so we have the brightest minds taking up the challenge.
STEMfest is all about that and I’d like to thank all our sponsors and exhibitors for their support.”
We extend our thanks to all the organisations and supporters who made this event possible. We are grateful for the contributions of this year’s supporters, including Cummins, Ward and Burke and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. We are proud to collaborate with organisations that share our mission to build a brighter future for young people across the region.
Every exhibitor and sponsor played an integral role in making this STEMFest a success. Their dedication to nurturing young talent ensures continued progress in bridging the skills gap and inspiring future innovators.
Claire Willis, Team Leader STEM Hub commented:
“We were delighted to once again return to Bradford in their City of Culture year to deliver our hugely popular STEMFest event. We welcomed almost 3000 young people across the 3 days and with the support of 50 exhibitors have really showcased the fantastic career opportunities these young people have in the region. Events like this aim to inspire and engage young people in STEM subjects and using role models the students can see people like themselves in careers that they may have thought weren’t open to them.”
