[{"command":"add_css","data":[{"rel":"stylesheet","media":"all","href":"\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_-kTcRwkqPhQLsqEvdSSyU2XZ3CV5VEleXoE3_xZi2cg.css?delta=0\u0026language=it\u0026theme=hm_theme\u0026include=eJxLzi9K1U8pKi1IzNErSa0oSSxKTdQtSi3OrEoFAJQ3Cqw"}]},{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/it\/article\/modal\/6573\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n        \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n  \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea resize-vertical ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESchools and industry should join forces to reduce skills gap \u2013 Marc Durando\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size: 13.008px;\u0022\u003EAll industrial sectors need qualified professionals in STEM to boost the pace of innovation, employment and productivity, and consequently Europe\u2019s ability to compete globally.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.oecd.org\/pisa\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eoutcomes of the 2015 PISA study\u003C\/a\u003E indicate that there is room for improvement in STEM education to boost students\u2019 performance and motivation, while demand for highly skilled tech professionals and people with a background in the field of STEM is on the rise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe EU estimates that there will be \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/digital-single-market\/en\/skills-jobs\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E756\u0026nbsp;000 vacancies\u003C\/a\u003E in the ICT sector alone by 2020. What\u2019s more, while only half of the population in Europe is considered to be digitally advanced, 90\u0026nbsp;% of jobs require digital skills. It is, therefore, of great concern that the number of ICT graduates dropped by 20\u0026nbsp;% between 2006 and 2014, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/europe2020\/pdf\/themes\/2016\/digital_single_market_skills_jobs_26105.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eaccording to data from the European Commission\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe need motivated, properly trained, well-equipped STEM teachers to prepare and inspire Europe\u2019s next generation of researchers and industry professionals. Partnerships between schools and industry can increase students\u2019 interest in STEM subjects and introduce innovative practices to teachers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollaboration\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuch collaboration makes teachers more aware of current role models in the field of STEM, as well as study paths and careers. The industry can also offer teachers options for placements in companies, in-service training and teaching resources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConversely, schools can open their doors to professionals already engaged in STEM careers to give them a chance to learn new things or further develop their skills. Collaboration between schools and industry also provides us with important evidence about trends in STEM education and careers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe STEM Alliance, launched in January 2016, is jointly coordinated by European Schoolnet and CSR Europe (a corporate social responsibility organisation for companies), and supported by industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt brings together ministries of education and companies to discuss STEM teaching and learning challenges for the future and strive for the enhancement of industry-education collaboration at European and national level across all Member States. Companies engaged in the STEM Alliance reward innovative STEM schools and teachers through yearly competitions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough this initiative, ministries of education and companies also support and promote the publication of analyses and surveys to inform strategic recommendations for policymakers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn that context, three new important research reports on STEM education in Europe \u2013 looking at the current state of play, the role of ICT tools in STEM education and a practical guide to STEM education \u2013 were presented to key policymakers and educators in Brussels on 24 November 2016, including Marianne Thyssen, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour, and Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EICT in education\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe report on ICT in education analyses how technology can best be integrated in the education system, to respond to rapid changes in learners\u2019 needs and modern pedagogy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECollaboration between businesses and partners in the field of education can increase the uptake and effectiveness of ICT in schools by aligning curricula development with skills needed for employment, by ensuring that the material and information are up-to-date, and by providing real-world contextualisation and training for teachers.\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022text-center text-blue font-bold text-2xl w-full lg:w-1\/2 border-2 border-blue p-12 my-8 lg:m-12 lg:-ml-16 float-left\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cspan class=\u0022text-5xl rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003Cp class=\u0022font-serif italic\u0022\u003E\u2018We need motivated, properly trained, well-equipped STEM teachers to prepare and inspire Europe\u2019s next generation.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n  \u003Cfooter\u003E\n    \u003Ccite class=\u0022not-italic font-normal text-sm text-black\u0022\u003EMarc Durando, Executive Director, European Schoolnet\u003C\/cite\u003E\n  \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EICT can, thus, reinforce students\u2019 skills developed during the studying of STEM subjects, including problem solving, logical and critical thinking, and technological literacy. Moreover, STEM education should allow students to practise their skills where ICT tools are used to enhance conceptual understanding, promote higher-order thinking and strengthen teamwork.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll stakeholders must work together to establish an inclusive ecosystem for ICT and science education that encourages a better uptake and usage of digital services, to make sure that new pedagogies dependent on ICT are effectively embedded in educational practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFurther research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFurther research is needed on best practices in STEM education to support policymakers and school administrators, and that\u2019s where the STEM Alliance can provide important evidence. Moreover, its activities throughout the year, such as the production of teaching resources, webinars, online discussions and face-to-face workshops, provide a practical way of bridging the gap between educators and industry representatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the STEM Alliance initiatives we look most forward to in 2017 is \u2018STEM professionals go back to school\u2019, where people who are working in the field go to schools across Europe to discuss related studies and jobs. Such a discussion can broaden teachers\u2019 and students\u2019 understanding of STEM careers and what it means to be a scientist, engineer, programmer or researcher.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHopefully, this can demonstrate to pupils how they can apply what they learn in school in real-life scenarios and how they can turn their knowledge and skills into a future career, increasing innovation and broadening Europe\u2019s talent pool to everyone\u2019s benefit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n            \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n      Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-wvycjgzuk8tawfkyec6yfk-eqv3nphrkgpznwy4x8dy\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-WVyCjGzUK8TAWfkyEc6YFK-Eqv3npHrKgpznWY4x8dY\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]