Rolls-Royce today announced support for UK education charity Teach First, with a three year partnership that will help to provide inspirational science teaching to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Teach First trains and supports people with leadership potential to become inspirational teachers in schools in low-income communities across the UK. The partnership with Rolls-Royce will enable Teach First to recruit and train an additional 75 science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) teachers, helping to raise the achievements and aspirations of approximately 11,250 pupils.
Welcoming the news, Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, said: "Rolls-Royce is a great British success story and its decision to partner with Teach First will help develop the next generation of scientists and engineers. It was great to be in Derby to witness this new partnership, and to meet some of the latest apprentices at Rolls-Royce."
Colin Smith, Rolls-Royce, Director of Engineering and Technology, said: "Advanced manufacturing companies like Rolls-Royce offer fantastic career opportunities to people who excel in STEM subjects and it is important that these opportunities are open to children from a diverse range of backgrounds. Teach First is making significant progress in increasing the uptake of STEM subjects among young people and we are delighted to help support the great work that they do."
Brett Wigdortz, CEO of Teach First, said: "The UK economy needs 40,000 extra STEM graduates each year to fill the 104,000 graduate-level STEM jobs the economy requires. But too few students are taking up these subjects and the problem is even worse for pupils in low-income communities.
"Talented and passionate teachers are vital to solving this educational and economic challenge and we are delighted that through the support from Rolls-Royce we will be able to reach and inspire another 11,250 pupils."
Teach First is a charity with the vision that no child's educational success is limited by their socio-economic background. In the past ten years more than 750,000 young people have been taught by Teach First teachers working in partnership with schools across the UK to transform the lives of children from low income communities. .
The charity is also working to eradicate educational inequality through the collective effort of leaders in classrooms, schools and communities. Many Teach First teachers have gone onto tackle the problem in the wider education system, government, the third sector or through business and industry.
Rolls-Royce has over 1,000 STEM ambassadors who are actively involved in education programmes and activities across the globe. Rolls-Royce recognises that talented engineers are the key to its future and has set a target to reach 6 million people through Rolls-RoyceSTEM education programmes and activities by 2020. The Group also supports the Government's Your Life campaign, which aims to further boost participation in STEM subjects, with a special focus on increasing the involvement of women in engineering.
