The outputs and outcomes from this project fall into two, inter-dependent categories: the overall “high level” outcomes and outputs, which reflect the totality of the project, and the specific outcomes/outputs which relate to the objectives of each sub-project.

The collaborative nature of this project presents a valuable opportunity to take a broad theme, the critical role of employer engagement in the STEM curriculum, and investigate it within the context of the three project aims: exploring innovative approaches; testing transferability and cross-disciplinary applications; and promoting involvement and the ensuing benefits.

Outputs:

• A community of practice will have been created, the members of which extend beyond academic practitioners and include employers and employer agencies. Building and strengthening the community of practice will ensure sustained links to aid future collaborations.
• A reflective commentary to document the project at different stages, focussing on the processes used to develop projects, including the working relationship between partners.
• An infrastructure for communication and sharing of practice across the STEM community will have been established, including the use of remote technologies to enable staff to work together where geographical logistics would have made it impracticable.
• Proposed approaches and strategies will have been tested in conditions which reflect the economic, commercial and demographic differences across a large part of the South West, as well as across a range of institutions and across different disciplines with varying employer profiles.
• A series of case-studies will be produced reflecting good practice across the projects. These will form part of the final project report documenting the full range approaches taken, project impact and transferability to other disciplines or institutions. An overall sustainability strategy will have been developed by the Project Management team as part of the final report which, in turn, reflects local partner strategies.

A legacy of specific resources – models, toolkits, frameworks – will be available to all higher education institutions to enable the developments investigated to be replicated and developed further. Print and web based versions of the outcomes will be available.

Outcomes:

• Increased opportunities for STEM students to gain experience of the real world/ commercial applications of their own specialisms, as well as exposure to disciplines outside their field, increasing employability.
• Greater understanding of the needs of employers and improved capacity to market employer engagement opportunities to employers; enhancing interactions with employers.
• Greater understanding amongst a wide range of employers eg. SMEs and community-based organisations, as to the benefits of interacting with the HE curriculum.
• Wider range of employer engagement opportunities available to both students and employers, enabling wider participation.
• Interdisciplinary awareness, collaboration and applicability across the STEM curriculum will have been strengthened, in addition to enhanced communication and sharing of practice across the STEM community.