CAREERS | STEM AMBASSADORS CIBSE President Adrian Catchpole speaks to three engineers who have responded to his call for more STEM Ambassadors and finds out what they are doing to promote building services in schools LEADING THE CHARGE A t the start of his CIBSE Presidency, Adrian Catchpole called on engineers to volunteer as STEM Ambassadors and help recruit the 200-300,000 people needed to deliver net zero in the UK across the built environment. In his Presidential address, he said engineers needed to step forward with solutions and commit to taking a lead and announced a new science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) initiative that would involve CIBSE teaming up with STEM Learning to match engineers with schools and colleges. Catchpole set a target for CIBSE regions to attract 10 STEM Ambassadors during his 12-month presidency. Last month, he met three young engineers who have responded to his call Silviu Sidovici, Natalie Collcutt and Ikechukwu Umeokoli and spoke to them about their experiences. Adrian Catchpole (AC): What attracted you to become a STEM representative? Ikechukwu Umeokoli (IU): I wanted to help younger people. I worked as an online maths tutor and was delighted to see someone gain a deeper understanding after sharing knowledge with them. Often, young people dont know what is involved with being an engineer. There is a knowledge gap there that STEM Ambassadors can fill to give them a sense of purpose and stronger drive. Natalie Collcutt (NC): I signed up to encourage more women to get involved in engineering. I went to an all-girls school and, apart from engineering evening events, there was nothing that would make me consider construction or engineering. The attitude was always oh why dont you do drama?. Engineering covers such a wide range and I didnt understand that until I did my engineering A Level. I also volunteer with SheCanEngineer, which is linked to STEM Learning. Silviu Sidovici (SS): I was inspired by one of Adrians speeches last year. I heard him say that 300,000 people are required to deliver net zero carbon, which is astonishing. Being a STEM Ambassador ties up with my long-term objective to teach. I would love to go into schools, and deliver lectures at university, to talk about engineering. I have a mechanical basis, so I really enjoy explaining the principles and Im very passionate about sustainability. AC: What STEM activities have you taken part in so far? IU: I have attended a careers fair, where I gave advice and speed- networked with students. I had a huge number of students asking me about engineering. I broke down what I did in an easyto-understand way. I dont want to overcomplicate anything and I emphasised the fundamentals. NC: I attended a careers fair where there were 100 people exhibiting, and I was with other engineers. It was really interesting talking to students and I found parents also asked how their children could get into the industry. There were a couple of children interested and Adrian Catchpole is director of Johns Slater and Haward and CIBSE President Natalie Collcutt is a senior buildings services engineer at Watkins Payne 16 March 2024 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE March 24 pp16-17 STEM Ambassadors.indd 16 23/02/2024 16:54