ABM’s Junior Engineering Engagement Programme - J.E.E.P

Introduction

The Junior Engineering Engagement Programme (J.E.E.P) gives students a guided introduction to core Facilities Management (FM) subjects such as electricity, lighting, and safety, through three classroom sessions. ABM team members attend each session to represent the industry, answer student questions, and work with young people on experiments and activities.

The course is centered around sustainability and concludes with a presentation from the students. They present a sustainability project they have created in teams with the ultimate aim of making their school more environmentally sustainable.

Challenge

J.E.E.P aims to tackle misconceptions of the FM industry among young people and showcase the potential for a long-term career in the industry. Our goal is to change perceptions of further education available, such as apprenticeships and degrees, providing open discussions. In the UK, parental income remains the single strongest indicator of educational attainment, and we want to help every child reach their full potential, regardless of socio-economic background.

Solution

Over 600 students have attended across 23 schools since 2017, and in the 2021 academic year, J.E.E.P worked with 97 disadvantaged young people.

The project was a collaborative effort between ABM and an independent educational charity, The Talent Foundry. J.E.E.P. introduced year seven students, aged between 11 and 12, to the world of engineering and FM, bringing apprenticeships to their attention as a valid path to success before they choose their GCSE subjects. In 2021, ABM took J.E.E.P. to schools in London, Bradford, Leeds, and Birmingham, with sessions that ran from September to December.

Female students were encouraged to take part to raise the visibility of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) roles to female students; simultaneously addressing the diversity gap in these roles.

Benefits

Environmental:
- Student projects are centered on reducing environmental impacts. Projects include the invention of a food waste bin that converts waste to electricity using a micro-anaerobic digestor and the construction of miniature solar-powered buggies.
- The project created new environmental awareness among students.

Economic:
- Encourages the next generation into meaningful work and education in the FM industry.
- Provides young people with choices to lower the risks of them becoming Not in Education, Employment, or Training status (NEETs).

Social:
- Provides young people with career opportunities that they may not have been aware of before.
- Engages younger people to demonstrate there are different avenues into careers.
- Approximately 97 students were involved in the project in 2021 for three full days plus their own team working time.
- 18 ABM team members volunteered a total of 1.5 days each, equating to 27 days of volunteering, providing mentorship and professional expertise.
- J.E.E.P.’s latest results demonstrate:
 - A 20% increase in student understanding of apprenticeships.
 - A 19% increase in young people seeing apprenticeships as something exciting.
 - 100% of teachers agreed that their students were more interested in learning skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Find out how we can make it possible for you by visiting [ABM.co.uk](https://www.abm.co.uk).