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Almost 12,000 UK schools could be vulnerable to cyber attacks this year
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Over three quarters (78 percent) of UK head teachers believe their school faces an increased risk of being exposed to a cyber incident in light of remote learning, according to a survey by Cantium Business Solutions and conducted by Censuswide

Despite this, the survey conducted in partnership with Censuswide, revealed that nearly four in ten (37 percent) of respondents, including school staff and IT professionals do not rank cyber security as a high priority. On a national level, this could mean that almost 12,000 schools are at greater risk from a cyber-attack in 2022. 

The online survey covered the views of just over 500 UK headteachers, school IT professionals and teaching staff. It found that two-thirds (66 percent) of UK schools surveyed claimed to have suffered a cyber-attack in the last 18-months and only 35 percent felt strongly that they were well prepared to protect their school against malicious activity in the future. 

The survey suggests that secondary schools in the East of England are more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. 84 percent of schools in the East of England claimed to have suffered a cyber incident in the past 18-months, compared to a nationwide average of 66 percent. Additionally, schools in the region felt their risk of a cyber incident had increased, with 55 percent for those in the East of England agreeing. 

Despite head teachers acknowledging the heighted exposure that remote and home learning brings with it, the survey showed that 46 percent of schools believe the cyber threat will not increase further in 2022. 

Detective Inspector Fiona Bail, Head of Cyber and Innovation at the Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre, said: “Cybercrime continues to increase and unfortunately there is no evidence that the number or scale of attacks will be decreasing soon. Education are key targets due to the sensitive nature of the data that they hold, as well as the complexities of the systems involved, which make secure configuration and implementation of controls tricky. Educational institutions are also easy targets for students who are experimenting with their cyber skills, so being able to identify and nurture technical talent is a problem which other businesses may not have to face. Covid has already placed huge demands on the education sector and having a cyber-attack occur, losing access to key files and data, or being unable to teach, is a situation that no one wants.”

Mark Scott, CEO at Cantium Business Solution, added: “The last year has been particularly challenging for the education sector and it’s clear that the shift to remote learning has left many schools feeling vulnerable and unprepared to protect themselves against cyber criminals. As the threat landscape evolves and schools continue to adopt digital technologies, it’s important to invest in cyber security measures, education and expertise that can help protect against malicious activity. Cyber security doesn’t just fall down to the IT department, it’s a mindset and level of awareness that helps to prevent cyber-attacks and safeguard staff and pupils.” 

Inspiring the next generation: How to encourage young people into engineering
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The future of engineering has never been more important. According to a report by the Institute of Engineering and Technology, the UK science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) sectors are experiencing a shortage of 173,000 workers, and 49% of engineering businesses are struggling to recruit skilled workers. Therefore, as the technological world continues to evolve and advance, the government strives to prioritise STEM education within primary and secondary schools.

Here we explore the ways that the UK is encouraging young people into engineering careers, from stimulating interest at a young age to creating an inclusive space for underrepresented groups in STEM and equipping students with transferable skills they will use for life.

Stimulating an interest in STEM education from a young age

There are many organisations that are encouraging STEM learning within primary education. A continuing professional development (CPD) programme, STEM learning supports primary school teachers in its endeavour to inspire the next generation of engineers. It offers regional and remote courses, bursaries, and other online materials. The Institute of Engineering and Technology also offers free material for children aged between 5 and 11 years of age, such as lesson plans and education videos. This equips teachers with the tools to inspire the next generation.

In addition to this, children can begin their STEM education outside of the classroom. To encourage this, parents can teach their children to question the world around them. Even the toys children play with can be used for this purpose. Educational toys, such as coding robots, enrich children with life skills as well as the tools to excel in STEM subjects.

Encouraging STEM subjects within underrepresented groups in schools

In order to inspire the future generation of engineers, we must continue to offer educational tools to underrepresented groups. In 2021, women accounted for just 14.5% of the engineering sector. The number of girls taking STEM subjects in school is significantly lower than boys. This is apparent in A-Level technology subjects, such as computer science. In 2021, the number of A-Level students taking computer science rose from 12,428 to 13,829 across the UK. Out of these, 11,798 were boys and 2,031 were girls. This gender gap within STEM subjects can be partly explained as a result of harmful stereotypes. According to Women In Tech, early socialisation and classroom culture can deter girls away from STEM subjects, as they are traditionally portrayed as boy-dominated subjects.

Computer science and technology subjects are a great way to inspire the next generation of engineers. The skills that young men and women will learn in these subjects can form a foundational knowledge to succeed as an engineer. This can lead to the cultivation of multiple skills, for example, the development of engineering software such as building design software.

Furthermore, students from low socio-economic backgrounds are less likely to choose STEM subjects in school. Research from In2ScienceUK shows that students from disadvantaged backgrounds can be 2.2 times less likely to take triple science at GCSE when compared to other students. This could be due to a number of factors, from individual student interests to counter-culture within disadvantaged youth.

To tackle this, the UK government is investing money and resources into initiatives. These schemes encourage underrepresented groups to take part in STEM education and inspire the next generation of engineers. It intends to improve the accessibility of computer science with female students at GCSE and A-Level. This corresponds with other incentives, such as the Gender Balance in Computing Programme.

Thankfully, the efforts to make engineering an inclusive space is paying off. The number of people within these underrepresented groups undergoing a degree in a STEM subject has increased. Between 2010–2020, the number of women accepted onto undergraduate courses rose by 49%, and the number of people from disadvantaged backgrounds achieving places on such courses increased by a staggering 79%. This is an encouraging sign for the future minds of engineering!

Highlight the importance of the transferable skills students learn in STEM subjects

STEM education equips children and young adults with transferable skills which will aid them in their future endeavours. These skills transcend the ability to solve an equation or design a building. By highlighting the importance of these transferable skills, students will realise the value of STEM education and how this can help them in multiple careers, from business management to teaching and much more.

STEM education requires students to think for themselves. Tasks often involve problem-solving, and this encourages critical thinking. Not only is this skill highly important in STEM careers, but it is also a well-respected transferable skill. Any career involving research and development would benefit from this.

Another transferable skill students learn from STEM subjects is teamwork. To work in a team, they will develop their communication skills, which is vital for practically any career path. Finally, STEM education requires management skills, from overseeing a project to delegating tasks. This is particularly beneficial for careers in business, as well as any engineering role.

Overall, the UK is taking the necessary steps to encourage the younger generation into STEM careers. This can start as early as childhood, with the toys they play with to the subjects at primary school. Although STEM subjects are predominately made up of boys, more and more girls are choosing to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects, such as computer science. As STEM begins to create an inclusive space for more underrepresented groups, students will gain transferable skills that can be used within engineering and a plethora of other careers.

Altuity software improves facilities management for Tops Day Nurseries
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Tops Day Nurseries, a company managing a group of 30 nurseries educating over 3,000 children across the south of England, has adopted the AltoSites software solution from Altuity, a maintenance and facilities management software company.

Cheryl Hadland, Managing Director of Tops Day Nurseries, explains that the system the group was previously using didn’t work for the needs of the company effectively.

“We needed a central place for information, giving the opportunity to have not just maintenance jobs on the system but assets for each building e.g. fire systems, property boundaries, contracts in place with a system to prompt renewal dates, contractors being able to access the system to upload certificates, lease details and noting who is responsible for maintaining the different assets of the buildings,” she explains.

The company evaluated several other software systems before choosing AltoSites. “With their experience in the education sector, Altuity seemed to understand our issues best, and also weren’t cost prohibitive,” says Cheryl.

Altuity founder Steve Voller commented that, given the current Coronavirus challenges and business disruption, it was good to support Tops Day Nurseries with their long-term facilities and maintenance management needs.

Altuity conducted an initial meeting at the beginning of January. Despite the current lock down due to Coronavirus, it was able to work virtually with key Tops Day Nurseries staff to implement the software.  A Zoom group session, with over 30 staff participating, was used to remotely deliver the training, leading to go live on time at the end of March.

Benefits from adopting AltoSites include allowing for more data to be included under each asset e.g. the fire alarm system can have its make, model, service date, defects reported, certificates, and new systems installed all recorded. Additional benefits are that the company’s legal team will have the ability to store legal information on the system which can be shared. The system is also visually easier for maintenance to be able to see jobs using the floor plans on the system and prioritise work while contractors can automatically be notified of work needed.

“Until all managers are back from the lockdown situation and using the system to its full capacity, it is difficult to get feedback but we are confident the new software will have a positive impact on the way our assets are managed,” concludes Cheryl.

www.altuity.com

ABM UK’s Junior Engineering Engagement Programme enters third year
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Facilities management services provider ABM UK has kicked off year three of its Junior Engineering Engagement Programme (J.E.E.P.), which aims to tackle misperceptions amongst children and their parents of the facilities management (FM) industry, while creating a pipeline of future technical talent.

The third year will build on the success of the programme, which has been delivered by ABM and partners to over 280 students since 2017. In addition to this figure, the J.E.E.P. Teacher Pack has also been downloaded by thousands of teachers for self-delivery.

Supported by education delivery partner, The Transformation Trust, ABM UK will take the immersive programme into twelve new schools, reaching new students in London, Leeds, Manchester and Bradford. Running from November 2019 to March 2020, year three will see over 250 budding engineers participate in the programme.

In addition to the course being delivered by ABM and partners in schools, a teacher pack has been developed. This is available to all teachers to download on the J.E.E.P. microsite and Times Education Supplement. Created for use in secondary schools, the pack incorporates everything teachers need from experiment guides, equipment lists, presentations and worksheets. These resources are designed to be delivered in schools over four full days.

When asked for feedback on the success of the programme, a hundred percent of teachers agreed that their students were more interested in learning skills in STEM following their involvement in J.E.E.P.

ABM UK Director, Adam Baker, said: “The past two years have been a huge success, going from 32 students in year one to over 250 in year three is fantastic. Targeting schools in ‘opportunity areas’ has been a huge focus – we want to ensure all young people have the same opportunities to learn about the variety of paths to success available to them… university is not the only way!”

“Research from final module surveys revealed that there was a 14% increase in students considering engineering and facilities management as a career and a 24% rise in the understanding and importance of apprenticeships.

“Seeing feedback like this shows us that the programme is working. Our goal is to change perceptions of apprenticeships and the FM industry across the UK and we’re in it for the long haul!”

Cate Smith, Senior Programme Manager at the Transformation Trust, added: “We are so pleased to be working with ABM UK on year three of the J.E.E.P. Last year, we saw huge success with the nine participating schools and received incredibly positive feedback across the board in our end of project evaluations.

“Our hope is that the continuing success of the J.E.E.P can pave the way for other initiatives like this, and ultimately support the FM industry in closing the skills gap. Initiatives like this are a great way to introduce young people to a new interest through fun, curriculum-linked activities and experiments. It’s our job to deliver the J.E.E.P in the most engaging way possible and to ensure the students leave excited about their potential future in FM!”

For more information on the programme, visit www.jeep-abm.org .   

ABM UK’s J.E.E.P programme produces first wave of graduates
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Thirty-six school children from West London graduated from the world’s first Junior Engineering Engagement Programme (J.E.E.P), which first started in January 2018.

The programme seeks to change perceptions of apprenticeships and make a real impact in the engineering and facilities management sectors by making use of the expertise offered by ABM UK employees.

The graduation follows research highlighting that sixty per cent of young people were unlikely to consider working in the engineering and facilities management industries, fuelling the creation of a skills gap.

Students from Northolt High School, Brentside High School and Featherstone High School presented their final projects, exploring how schools can be more sustainable, at ABM’s training centre in Greenford.

Each student has been awarded an official commendation from certified industry body, the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM, formerly BIFM).

Adam Baker, ABM UK director, said: “We have a responsibility as an industry to engage young people and demonstrate the attractive careers available, whether you are entering the industry through an apprenticeship or a university degree. The first year of our J.E.E.P initiative is a fantastic step towards doing this and we’re delighted that it’s been such a success.

“We set out to change perceptions of technical careers and the feedback from our students has been overwhelmingly positive. There’s clear evidence that exposing young people to the realities of the job, coupled with the right education, can transform how careers in engineering and facilities management are viewed. I wish the thirty-six young people every success in the future.”

Linda Hausmanis, Chief Executive of the IWFM, said: “The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (formerly BIFM) is delighted to support ABM UK in this initiative. Today’s graduation marks an important moment for the industry – it’s a step towards making apprenticeships in facilities management a stronger proposition for young people looking at career choices, and compliments IWFM’s work to reposition the FM profession as a career of choice not chance.

“There’s a serious skills gap in the industry, which can only be plugged if we pull together to highlight the fulfilling end careers we can offer. We look forward to next year when the programme aims to engage even more young people in careers in workplace and facilities management.”

Over the course of the year, students studied a syllabus comprising of 10 modules that cover the basic principles of engineering and facilities management. Topics such as heating, security and customer services were also included alongside theories of induction, electricity and energy. The course also allowed students to visit The London Transport Museum Depot and Heathrow Airport to explore the everyday reality of jobs in engineering and facilities management.

Morgan from Northolt High School said: “When I started the J.E.E.P course I had heard the word ‘apprentice’ before but I wasn’t sure what an apprenticeship was, or what a career in facilities management was. Now I understand about what careers are available and also what they are about. I’m even thinking about being an electrician when I’m older.”

Speaking of the value of apprenticeships in her role as J.E.E.P ambassador, Stemettes co-founder and CEO Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon said: “University is often publicised as the ‘only’ route but this is not true. Apprenticeships are a fantastic viable alternative, which allows young people to earn while they learn and then, often before they are 20 years of age, have debt-free foundations from which to build a solid, well-paid career. Not enough people know about the breadth and availability of apprenticeships; Initiatives such as the J.E.E.P positively profile the virtues of technical careers and engage young people in the options available to them at an age when they are forming views on their career paths.”

J.E.E.P is supported by a host of industry partners including Helistrat, SMI Workwear, Electric Centre, Westbury Filtermation, Trinity Security and Fire and Diversey.

ABM UK is calling for more schools and industry partners to get in touch and be part of the 2019 programme. For more details about ABM’s Junior Engineering Engagement Programme (J.E.E.P) visit www.jeep-abm.org