A SCIENCE, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) expo was held at Wiltshire College in Salisbury last Wednesday.

The STEM expo attracted more than 200 students from the college and other local schools.

They took part in a range of activities and visited stands that were all STEM related. Beth Bates, 14, from South Wilts School, said: “I really enjoyed the event. We attended a Think Maths session, which was really interesting and showed how maths is used behind a lot of technology we use today, from sending text messages to how pictures are created all using numbers; we all found it very interesting.” A cardiovascular surgeon gave a video conference presentation from Athens, they youngsters could play Jenga using a computer controlled robotic arm, and carry out science experiments.

Mark Thompson, director of ILT and e-learning at the college, said: “It has been a really successful event, with some really positive feedback already. The importance of STEM within the economy is highlighted more and more frequently at the moment and with the expertise that we have at the college we are pleased to be able to share our resources. “It was good to have a range of employers convey messages about the skills they seek and the potential employment opportunities open to committed students. In tough economic times, this gives students hope and additional enthusiasm.”