Becoming a school governor is a great way to improve the link between STEM professionals and education. As a CIHT STEM ambassador you can find school governor opportunities through our link with the charity, Education and Employers.
Join other savvy professionals just like you at CIHT. We are committed to fulfilling your professional development needs throughout your career
The Department for Education funded Inspiring Governance program has helped thousands of people like you find a role in local schools in England. By becoming a school governor, you too can play a key role in supporting STEM education and helping young people discover their future. You can be a role model for children and young people, boost their confidence and raise their aspirations. People from diverse backgrounds bring so much to governing boards, not least a fresh perspective and a voice that may not otherwise be reflected.
You don’t need any prior experience and there are no educational requirements to be a governor, you just need to be over the age of 18 and be motivated to help schools and young people to develop and achieve a brighter future.
Becoming a governor can help you develop your personal and professional skills and even support your career progression. Education and Employers has offered to run Inspiring Governance sessions specifically for CIHT members as part of their School Governor Champion Programme, so you can get all the support, CPD and guidance you need to enable you to be a confident school governor.
To sign up to one of these sessions, please contact Suzy Broadhead - Head of Employer Partnerships at Education and Employers at: Suzy.broadhead@educationandemployers.org.uk.
We asked CIHT member, Beckie Faulkner, Deputy Group Director, Intelligent Infrastructure, WSP, a few questions about being a school governor.
Beckie, why did you decide to become a school governor?
“I chose to become a school governor because I wanted to help shape the school's priorities, have an opportunity to feedback on the curriculum, give something back to the community and inspire young people to consider STEM careers. My own Mum and Grandma were also school governors, so I always pictured myself doing it one day”.
What is your experience been as a school governor?
“Being a school governor offers a lot of great CPD opportunities, including regular safeguarding, ED&I and cybersecurity training. I have been able to provide feedback on the curriculum and offer insight into new processes and policies in a safe and open forum which gives me a greater understanding of what we are teaching our future leaders. It is a rewarding role which I can use to offer insight into the skills shortages we have and how STEM ambassadors can have a profound impact on young minds and excite them about future STEM careers. It is rewarding to know that I have played my role in securing the future talent coming into the sector, but also improving the social value impact on the community I serve”.
What would you say to someone considering becoming a school governor?
“Schools want diverse representation from different backgrounds, expertise levels, perspectives, and experiences to become school governors so they can bring their individual skills to better reflect the diversity of the community that the school serves. The more diverse minds we can provide as governors from within our industry, the greater we can help shape the curriculum to serve future generations' transportation needs. If becoming a school governor is something you have been considering, I recommend you do it.”
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Want to join the 250,000 serving governors across England? If you’re already a registered STEM ambassador and want to support the Inspiring Governance programme, please click here to sign up. If you aren’t registered yet, please watch this 3-minute video that takes you through the quick and easy steps to register as a STEM Ambassador, then click here to register. Remember to align yourself to CIHT so we can better support you.
If you are based in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland you can find out more about opportunities to get involved.
Don’t forget to log your time spent as a school governor as a STEM activity on STEM Learning and remember that all volunteer activities are considered CPD by CIHT, so please add them to your CPD record on CIHT Learn.
For support on the Inspiring Governance programme, contact Suzy Broadhead - Head of Employer Partnerships at Education and Employers at: Suzy.broadhead@educationandemployers.org.uk.
Or for any CPD or STEM ambassador related support, please contact the CIHT Education Team on +44 (0) 20 4526 9848 or email: professionaldevelopment@ciht.org.uk
Join other savvy professionals just like you at CIHT. We are committed to fulfilling your professional development needs throughout your career
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