Sparking STEM Futures

EESW (Engineering Education Scheme Wales)

EESW is an incorporated, not-for-profit educational charity dedicated to inspiring young people across Wales to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, particularly focusing on Engineering.

Primary School Project: Circuit Explorers

EESW is continuing its successful pilot project from the 2023-24 academic year, which introduced primary school pupils in the region to compound semiconductors. This project provides practical, hands-on workshops where students learn about the basics of electrical circuits, semiconductors, and their applications in the real world. Secondary School Project: Smart Homes

EESW is also launching the Smart Homes project for secondary school students in Years 7-9. This project introduces students to the role of semiconductors in creating energy-efficient, sustainable homes. By using micro-bits, sensors, and actuators, pupils will learn how to program a smart home system that manages temperature, lighting, and water usage.

Semiconductor Workshops - Cardiff Capital Region

Iungo Solutions

Iungo Solutions is a Digital & Green Skills training provider headquartered in Cardiff Bay, with a presence across the whole of Wales and the Southwest of England. Iungo have recently co-developed the WJEC Level 2 Award in Introduction to Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (Semiconductors).

Iungo’s School Workshops

Iungo Solutions is delivering an introductory workshop for students aged 14-18, focused on semiconductor technologies and the broader semiconductor industry. This 2.5-hour session provides students with an understanding of the semiconductor supply chain, the key technologies involved, and the industry’s impact across various sectors such as electronics and healthcare. Following the workshop, schools will be equipped with Semiconductor Activity Kits to further engage students in practical activities.

Multi-School Enterprising Engineers© competition

The Iungo Solutions The ‘Enterprising Engineers©’ competition is a full-day co-curricular program aimed at students aged 14-18, where participants will engage in a hands-on engineering challenge. Over the course of the day, they will develop a commercially viable solution to a semiconductor-themed engineering problem, guided by expert facilitators and local case studies. The competition also serves as a pathway for students to earn the ‘Commercialising Semiconductor Innovations’ Unit of the WJEC Level 2 Certificate in Introduction to Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (Semiconductors).

STEM Saturday/Summer clubs

Iungo’s STEM Saturday/Summer Clubs provide a hands-on, project-based learning experience for young people aged 12-17. Running over 10 weeks, these clubs offer alternating themes in Semiconductors and Net Zero Engineering. Participants will gain practical skills and complete the WJEC Level 2 Certificate in Introduction to Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (Semiconductors) while working on projects related to key technologies shaping the future of engineering. The sessions will take place at Iungo Labs in Cardiff, offering convenient access for students across South Wales.

Techniquest

Techniquest is a dynamic and engaging science discovery centre in Cardiff, dedicated to inspiring young people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Techniquest’s outreach programme reaches over 30,000 pupils annually across South Wales, engaging them with fascinating science and industry-related topics.

School Workshops

The Techniquest school workshops aim to engage up to 3,000 primary school pupils, aged 7-11, in innovation and technology, with a specific focus on the semiconductor industry. The initiative will provide a classroom-based workshop, designed to increase understanding of the semiconductor sector and inspire future careers in STEM. Research shows that careers education must begin at primary school age, and this project seeks to plant that early seed.

Theatre Show

Following completion of the outreach programme by the end of July 2025, an in-house semiconductor-focused event could be developed and hosted at Techniquest during the Autumn term. This event would provide a second engagement opportunity for schools that participated in the outreach workshops, reinforcing key messages about the semiconductor sector and related careers.

CREST Superstar Club (Semiconductor Investigator Club)

The ‘CREST Superstar Club’ is a structured, multi-session programme designed to engage 7–11-year-olds in hands-on scientific investigations related to semiconductors. Delivered as part of the CREST Awards framework, this club will provide young learners with an opportunity to think and behave like scientists and engineers through practical experiments and challenges.

Techniquest will develop and deliver the Semiconductor Investigator Club, which will run both in schools and as after-school clubs. A total of 9 clubs will be delivered from April 2025 onwards, each engaging around 20 pupils per club, resulting in 180 children participating in a high-impact learning experience.