The Morson STEM Foundation
Working to pave pathways into STEM for all through funding, engagement and training.
Morson STEM Foundation aims
The Morson STEM Foundation aims to support people from all backgrounds explore, and pursue, pathways into engineering-related careers.
With the immense demand for STEM skills in the UK, Morson Group is investing in education and aspiration, working hard to change lives and ensure a sustainable future for the industry and the wider economy.
The Morson STEM Foundation aims to increase the talent pipeline for STEM by widening participation and creating pathways into education and training. The Morson Group continues to demonstrate its commitment to social mobility by establishing the Foundation to help engage talent of all ages and from regionally deprived communities with STEM subjects. By collaborating with businesses to understand their skills needs and aligning them with a strategy for creating career opportunities – the Morson STEM Foundation is developing skills, delivering social value, and creating brighter futures.
The Foundation is delivered through the long-standing partnership with The University of Salford and the Morson Maker Space who bring together a programme of activity in collaboration with regional skill providers, local employers, and industry stakeholders to raise the profile of STEM nationally.
The Morson STEM Foundation underpins the civic university agenda supported by The University of Salford and four other Higher Education institutions of Greater Manchester as we work together on education, skills and the digital economy to sustain the future.
ANNUAL EVENTS
The Morson STEM Foundation is composed of several initiatives which support individuals in STEM from primary school to higher education.
PRIMARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION
IntoUniversity
The Morson-backed IntoUniversity Salford learning centre is a collaboration between the University of Salford, the University of Manchester, and the national education charity IntoUniversity.
Working closely with local schools, businesses and universities, IntoUniversity Salford offers long-term support to young people aged 7-18, helping them to discover their focus, build their capabilities and ultimately have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Support offered at the centre includes:
- After-school academic support.
- Mentoring with local university students and professionals.
- In-school aspiration-raising workshops.
- Enrichment and work experience opportunities.
IntoUniversity provides long-term educational support to young people facing disadvantages, who are typically underrepresented in higher education. The Morson sponsorship of the new learning centre further builds on our commitment to STEM skills and social mobility.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Gerry Mason Engineering Scholarships
Morson Group established the Gerry Mason Engineering Excellence Scholarship in 2015, in memory of Morson founder Gerry Mason, a design engineer himself. The scholarship continues his legacy by enabling budding engineers to study degree-level courses rooted in STEM.
These scholarships focus on nurturing future skills for various sectors, including aerospace, automotive, infrastructure, nuclear, engineering, IT & digital, and more.
From the outset, the goal of the scholarship has been to help young people from across the country reach their full potential, by removing financial and social barriers to attending university.
HIGHER EDUCATION
The Morson Maker Space
A cornerstone of the Morson STEM Foundation is the new state-of-the-art Morson Maker Space facility which forms part of the University of Salford‘s new £65 million Science, Engineering & Environment Building. The facilities have been designed to provide students with opportunities to explore new ideas and innovate, gaining hands-on experience with the types of equipment they can expect to use when they move from education into the workplace.
The Morson Maker Space includes a wide range of industrial machines and equipment for use by students from across the University of Salford, which will enable businesses to engage with the university and students in new ways, thereby creating opportunities for employment, training and exciting new projects.
Salford Racing
The Salford Racing team, comprising students from a variety of disciplines, had planned, designed, and built its car from the University’s Maker Space, a state-of-the-art facility funded by the Morson Group, which has also invested £10K to sponsor the car, and provided additional industry training. While allowing for the practical, real-world development of skills and techniques that are invaluable for students of all disciplines, the Salford Racing project exists separately from team members’ curriculums, with the project being completed out-of-hours on a voluntary basis.
The Salford Racing team took part in the IMechE Formula Student competition at Silverstone with their custom-designed racing car.
Europe’s most established educational engineering competition, Formula Student, sees university teams from all over the world produce a prototype for a single-seat race car, which is put through its paces on the Silverstone Circuit to discern a winner. This year, more than 130 teams entered the competition, which was celebrating its 25th year.
Morson STEM Foundation is composed of
The Morson STEM Foundation is composed of several initiatives which support individuals in STEM from primary school to higher education.
IntoUniversity
Providing long-term educational support to young people facing disadvantages.
Gerry Mason Scholarships
Enabling budding engineers to study degree-level courses rooted in STEM.
The Morson Maker Space
A state-of-the-art facility for students to explore new ideas, innovate and gain hands-on experience.
‘Go Beyond’ Mentoring
A mentoring scheme connecting female engineering students with industry experts.
Morson Career Bar
Connecting final-year students directly to job opportunities.
MINT Programme
A holistic programme aimed at boosting students’ confidence and employability.
IGNITE: STEM Summer School
A fun, engaging, and successful skills programme that aims to ignite a passion and interest in engineering and STEM subjects for young people.
Morson STEM Ambassador Programme
Morson Group is supporting STEM Learning UK’s mission through our in-house STEM Ambassador Network. Our 60+ STEM ambassadors work actively within schools and communities to engage and educate the next generation in STEM skills.
Salford Racing
Enabling the Salford Racing team, comprising students from a variety of disciplines, to take part in Europe’s most established educational engineering competition, Formula Student which sees university teams from all over the world produce a prototype race car.
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We’re working with local communities, city councils and national STEM agencies to bring the power of engineering to a wide range of audiences, learners and age groups through our programme of STEM activity.
- Ged Mason OBE, Morson Group CEO