VTC STEM Education Centre (STEM Centre) organised the STEM Education Day 2018 cum Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Signing Ceremony on Industry Partner Collaboration Scheme on 18 April. Over a dozen major enterprises and institutions entered into collaboration with VTC to nurture interest in learning STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) among the younger generation. The STEM Centre will co-work with the industry on STEM projects and recruit industry professionals to join “Train the Trainer” coaching scheme for promoting STEM learning.
Under Secretary for Education Dr CHOI Yuk-lin officiated at the ceremony and witnessed the signing of the MoU. VTC Chairman Dr Roy CHUNG said, “VTC established STEM Education Centres in its member institutions, the Tsing Yi and Chai Wan campuses of the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) and Youth College (Kowloon Bay) in May last year to echo with the strategic development plan of the HKSAR government. Through interdisciplinary collaborations integrating knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, the STEM Centre reinforces the knowledge base of STEM subjects for VTC and secondary school students. It nurtures more professional talent with innovative and technological thinking for the industry.”
During the event, VTC Deputy Executive Director and the Chairman of Organising Committee of VTC STEM Education Centre Dr Eric LIU Sai-lok signed the MoU on the Industry Partner Collaboration Scheme for VTC STEM Education Centre with 18 institutions and establishments. In the future, VTC will actively collaborate with industry to undertake interdisciplinary projects which nurture interest in learning STEM subjects among the younger generation and train more STEM talent for the future. Further, the STEM Centre will invite industry veterans to be STEM Ambassadors who will join “Train the Trainer” coaching scheme this year to subsequently lead secondary school students in STEM-related activities and workshops.
The STEM Centres are equipped with advanced facilities to provide VTC students with simulated workplace training, and also showcase scientific and technological projects undertaken by VTC students in collaboration with industry. To further promote STEM in the school sector and the community, and encourage students to exercise their creativity and ability to explore, STEM-related activities are organised from time to time. The STEM Centre will roll out a series of activities including workshops on Food Science and Innovative Food, Internet of Things (IoT) Technology Exploration and Augmented Reality (AR) Exploration, summer camps tailored for secondary school students, the Hong Kong Secondary Innovation and Technology Competition 2018, and the 20th Hong Kong Robotic Olympiad 2018. These activities promote to all innovative technologies pertaining to the IoT, robotics and the smart city to the young people. The STEM Centre will also provide training for teachers to strengthen their STEM-related teaching skills.
VTC and secondary school students, and industry representatives, having taken part in the activities, told of their experiences at the STEM Education Day. Students of Queen Elizabeth School said that, through the workshop, they learnt about the assembly of mini cars and the writing of software programmes, which they then shared with their fellow students in a workshop, so letting more people enjoy the fun of STEM.
List of Industry Partners on the Scheme
STEM Newsletter.pdf (3.84 MB)
