SATRO's Impact

SATRO continues to deliver to students across our region supporting them to widen their horizons and challenge their perceptions.

We support schools enrich their curriculum and meet their Gatsby Benchmarks.  Supported by companies and their employees who wish to inspire the next generation.

We continually ask ourselves how we can better engage and inspire young people in a changing world, how we can improve what we deliver and ensure its relevance to the students we work with every day. 
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What difference do we make?

Students

SATRO has over its 40 years delivered to in excess of 500,000 young people.


In the 2023-24 academic year we:
  • supported over 11,300 young people,
  • delivered over 26,500 unique sessions,
  • and engaged over 4,600 volunteer hours.  

SATRO STEMFest February 2024:

"I learnt about many new jobs in STEM... it has opened more opportunities for a future career."

  • 88% agreed that STEMFest had introduced them to STEM careers they didn't know about,
  • 79% agreed that that talking to STEM employees helped them think about their future.


Construction: 

Construction


ConstructionFest Nov 2023

  • 79% met someone or took part in an activity that changed their attitude to construction careers
  • 74% agreed that ConstructionFest introduced them to careers they didn't know about.


Girls Into STEM May 2024

  • 100% of students felt they were introduced to STEM careers they didn't know about
  • 98% felt the gained an insight into engineering and a better understanding of the skills engineers use

"I loved the speed networking, just talking to people about their experience and how they got where they are.  It made me think about how STEM could be a good option even thought it's never really been something I was confident about."


BAE Challenge May 2024

  • 97% agreed that they had more or a better understanding of developing and using skills that will support their future career
  • 75% said they would pursue or consider a career in STEM 

"A new-found enjoyment for problem solving is something I didn't expect."


Research Projects Summer 2024:

"Working on the NHS project with Microsoft was a fantastic experience. I really enjoyed collaborating with the team and learning from their expertise. It was great to have the chance to develop my knowledge of Copilot, and the support and feedback I received were incredibly helpful. Overall, it was a positive experience, and I feel like I’ve grown a lot professionally”.

Teachers

Teachers provide feedback on all our sessions and which helps us review and develop what we deliver.


Teacher on Research Project Programme Offer 2023: "What a fantastic range of potential projects! i am sure the students who are accepted onto the programme will gain a huge amount.  Thank you for all your organisation."


ConstructionFest Nov 2023: 100% felt the day supported students' knowledge of pathways into the construction industry.


"The activities were all beneficial as they provided information about the different roles and pathways in the industry in a fun and engaging way."


Teacher on Construction Sessions 2023-24:  

"All the pupils we have had on the course this year are either going on to college or into an apprenticeship next year."


"Their enjoyment of the course has improved these students overall attendance, as well as their confidence.  Over 95% go on to study construction related courses at college."


Teacher on Girls Into STEM May 2024: “Seeing women doing a wide range of careers was inspiring and helped the students realise they too can achieve within the STEM industries." 

Companies & Volunteers

Company attending a SATRO Festival 2023: "An uplifting and inspiring day, it was so great to see the engagement and participation from the students.  As ever the SATRO team are all stars!"


Local Enterprise Partnership visiting ConstructionFest 2023: "A very interactive and inspirational day all round for construction students in Surrey who are considering their future career options"


Volunteer at ConstructionFest Apr 2023:  "This sector particularly engineering, needs to be diverse and inclusive of all young learners regardless of their academic ability and qualifications.  It was clear from my conversations with the students that many of them aspire to pursue a career in construction and just need the right encouragement and positive reinforcement to build their confidence and self-esteem.  SATRO Construction Festival achieved this in my opinion."

Relevant Research

As a result of the current crisis and the changes to perceptions of the future for our young people it is ever more important to inspire and support them to understand the world they live in and the skills needed in the 21st century.   SATRO's work is important because of the identified need to:
  • Adapt learning for the future
  • Inspire the next generation
  • Address a skills shortage

Adapting Learning for the Future: In October 2020 a paper from the World Economic Forum sets out the challenges ahead for young people in a changing world: This is the new skills gap for young people in the age of COVID-19, (T. Belachew, R.Surkin)

".......With the COVID-19 pandemic causing a projected loss of 195 million jobs, dismaying interruptions to education and a disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups, preparing young people to earn and thrive in a post-COVID world requires immediate attention.

This changing environment calls for a transformation in how we think about learning. Young people must "learn to learn" in order to develop the abilities required to gain new skills and adapt, which will help them secure work opportunities. They must also learn to discern reliable information to navigate today's information landscape fraught with false and misleading information.

To "learn to earn", policy-makers and education and youth development practitioners must expand skills frameworks to include learning to learn and learning to discern as fundamental soft skills that can help young people thrive in a rapidly changing world of work.

Equipped with these critical skills and with the entrepreneurial mindsets to take advantage of available opportunities, all youth, especially those from marginalized groups, can overcome societal messages that dictate which areas of learning and earning are beyond their reach......."

Inspiring the next generation:  The need for early and inspirational intervention in schools has been researched and reported on in the recommendations from Disconnected: Career aspirations and jobs in the UK (January 2020):
• Ages 7-11: “focus on broadening horizons and raising aspirations, giving children a wide range of experiences of the world including the world of work. It is about opening doors, showing children the vast range of possibilities open to them and helping to keep their options open for as long as possible.” 

• Ages 12-18: “It’s important to give employer encounters the best chance of a ‘lightbulb moment’ with young people" this is partly about volume (you don’t know what you don’t know until you see it) and partly about linking encounters explicitly into pathway reflection, iterative research and decision-making.” 

Addressing a Skills Shortage: In 2019 the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) reported that nearly 40% of UK employers reported difficulties in recruiting staff with relevant STEM skills. The importance of young people continuing with science subjects cannot be overestimated and underpins our economy’s growth.  

Whilst Forbes reported in October 2019 that as we embrace the 4th industrial revolution 35% of the skill sets considered important for the workforce will change.  The skills needed will be based on research, scientific thinking and technology: such as data literacy, critical thinking, tech “savviness”, creativity, adaptability and collaboration.