Post-secondary Work Integrated Learning Through STEM Outreach

This work in progress paper reports on a multi-year project designed to articulate the learning and employability skills gained by a pan-Canadian group of undergraduates, by way of their training and work experience as youth program "Instructors" delivering STEM outreach activities for youth. Through both the training and work experience, program directors have noted that the Instructors gain invaluable employability and leadership skills, and we sought to better articulate these skills and investigate the experience of the instructors. In order to further examine the development of transferable skills, a framework of 12 "Future Skills," was developed, drawing on existing competency frameworks, Engineering graduate attributes, and through interviews with program directors and employers. The Future Skills framework defines 12 transferable employability skills grouped around three categories; Delivering Results, Working with Others, and Future Readiness. The current Instructor training and work experience was mapped onto the framework, with baseline findings indicating that while the Instructors have at least some opportunity to develop most of the future skills through either job-specific training or work experience or both, there is room to develop standardized training, skills articulation and evaluation materials in order to enhance the experience. The instructor experience has also been examined through a pre- and post program survey, as well as a smaller qualitative study, using multiple semi-structured interviews and reflections. This research has demonstrated that the instructors develop more confidence in a subset of skills, including adaptability, communication, collaboration and creativity through their STEM outreach instructor experience. The research also demonstrates a need to help instructors build awareness in the skills they are developing, the importance of work-training integration, and the unexpected benefit of STEM outreach work reigniting interest in one's field of study. This project presents a valuable opportunity to connect and leverage other post-secondary initiatives underway to prepare undergraduates with the skills and competencies needed for engineering and other STEM careers. This paper presents findings to date, and invites feedback on future phases of the project.