A PARTNERSHIP between a leading power technology company and the UK’s largest STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) education organisation will prepare pupils to seize the opportunities provided by the North East’s green industrial revolution.

The Cummins Darlington ENTHUSE Partnership, will enable STEM Learning to deliver intensive support around science and technology to ten secondary and primary schools in the Darlington area.

Teachers involved in the two-year partnership, which will be led from the Cummins Darlington Campus, will receive advanced continuing professional development (CPD) training in delivering STEM subjects through STEM Learning’s specialists, both at its locally based Science Learning Partnership and at the National STEM Learning Centre in York.

This will be directly linked to pupil engagement activity through the organisation’s STEM Ambassador programme, which is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary and enables industry experts to conduct exciting and engaging STEM related projects with young people .

Cummins, which designs, manufactures, distributes and services a broad portfolio of power solutions and is currently developing engines to operate on hydrogen at its Darlington campus, is providing employee volunteers and grant funding to support a two-year programme with STEM Learning that aims to increase young people’s overall aspirations and their engagement with STEM subjects.

It comes as the North East has a crucial opportunity to play a key role in the UK’s contribution to tackling the climate issue. World leading companies such as Cummins which specialise in clean energy, low carbon and hydrogen technology are based in the area.

The STEM sector currently has significant skills gaps, which could be a barrier to growth, with the Tees Valley seeing fewer pupils enter the broad range of STEM based GCSE subjects than the national average. ENTHUSE Partnerships help to close this gap by equipping young people with the skills and desire to pursue a STEM career.

 “It is vitally important that we inspire a next generation of engineers, and that we ensure a pipeline of people with the right skills to design and build the clean technologies of the future. We want to highlight to young people how rewarding a career in STEM can be.  We are excited about the ENTHUSE Partnership and working with STEM Learning to make this a reality,” commented Craig Thomas, Cummins Darlington Engine Plant Manager.”

Owen McAteer, Regional Network Lead for STEM Learning in the North East, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Cummins on this Enthuse Partnership. We know from our previous work with Cummins how committed they are to both raising the overall aspirations of young people in the local community and engaging them in inspirational STEM based activity.

“This new Enthuse Partnership with Cummins in Darlington will enable us to carry out intensive work with the pupils and teachers at Darlington schools to drive our young people’s engagement with STEM subjects and challenge perceptions some of them may have of STEM careers, putting them in a strong position to grasp the opportunities the region’s green industrial revolution presents for them.”

Through this partnership, pupils will take part in STEM Ambassador activities delivered by Cummins employees and Ambassadors from other companies. The partnership will then use teacher CPD to enable these activities to be  incorporated into the classroom and linked to the curriculum.

In addition, the schools involved will be provided with support to establish extra-curricular STEM Clubs for pupils, and teachers will also have the opportunity to take part in industry placements.

About Cummins Inc.

Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service a broad portfolio of power solutions. The company’s products range from diesel, natural gas, electric and hybrid powertrains and powertrain-related components including filtration, aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, controls systems, air handling systems, automated transmissions, electric power generation systems, batteries, electrified power systems, hydrogen generation and fuel cell products. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana (U.S.), since its founding in 1919, Cummins employs approximately 59,900 people committed to powering a more prosperous world through three global corporate responsibility priorities critical to healthy communities: education, environment and equality of opportunity. Cummins serves its customers online, through a network of company-owned and independent distributor locations, and through thousands of dealer locations worldwide and earned about $2.1 billion on sales of $24.0 billion in 2021.

See how Cummins is powering a world that’s always on by accessing news releases and more information at https://www.cummins.com/always-on.

STEM Learning is a non-profit organisation dedicated to raising young people’s engagement and achievement in STEM. It is the largest UK provider of STEM education and careers support to schools, colleges and community groups working with young people.

Visit www.stem.org.uk

@STEMLearningUK

For further information please contact:

Cummins: Jessica Highfield, Communications Co-ordinator. Jessica.highfield@cummins.com

STEM Learning: Owen McAteer, Regional Network Lead: Tel: 07748158342, Email: o.mcateer@stem.org.uk