More than 500 Year 8 and Year 9 students from the region took part in a major STEM engagement initiative at Silverstone Park on 28 April – highlighted in our new image gallery which captures them engaging with businesses, engineers and industry professionals (see at the foot of this article).
The Silverstone Park Futures Schools Programme event was designed to broaden access to careers in engineering, technology and motorsport at a time when the UK faces a growing skills shortage across advanced industries.
Students from five schools benefited from direct exposure to employers, engineers and innovators working across the Silverstone Technology Cluster – one of the UK’s leading hubs for high performance engineering and advanced manufacturing.
The initiative comes amid long term challenges in the engineering sector, including an ageing workforce and the persistent under representation of women, who currently make up around only one in six of the UK engineering workforce¹. Programmes like Futures aim to widen pathways into STEM careers for young people from all backgrounds.
Hosted in collaboration with Silverstone Circuit at The Wing, the event featured interactive workshops, live discussions and panel sessions with industry leaders, offering insight into careers across motorsport, engineering, clean technology, advanced manufacturing and commercial roles.
A key focus was showcasing the scale and diversity of opportunity within Silverstone Park and the wider ecosystem, now home to more than 90 businesses and over 2,700 people.
The campus includes high performance engineering companies, Formula 1 and Formula E related organisations, and a wider supply chain rooted in motorsport innovation and technology transfer.
The programme also aligns with national priorities around innovation led regional growth, following the Government’s Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor Innovation Champion Sir Patrick Vallance’s recent visit to Silverstone Park as part.
Delivered with F1 ACADEMY™, Silverstone Circuit, the Silverstone Technology Cluster (STC), Ahead Partnership and the Women’s Innovation Network (WIN), the Futures event placed particular emphasis on inclusion in STEM.
WIN enabled students to meet female role models working across the industry, helping challenge perceptions of who belongs in engineering and technology.
Through direct engagement with professionals, students gained insight into a multi billion pound industry undergoing rapid transformation and were encouraged to consider career pathways they may not previously have seen as accessible.
Sebastian Hayes, Asset Management Director, Federated Hermes on behalf of Silverstone Park, said:
“Engineering and technology are facing a real and growing skills shortage, and it’s vital that we do more to inspire and support the next generation.
“Silverstone Park has a responsibility and a real opportunity to help shape the future talent pipeline for UK innovation.”
The Futuresprogramme forms part of Silverstone Park’s wider commitment to building a more inclusive and sustainable talent pipeline, ensuring the future of UK innovation is supported by a broader and more diverse workforce.
