Senedd Cymru / Welsh Parliament

Cross-Party Group on STEMM

Meeting at 18:25, Tues 12 September, via Zoom

Minutes

Attendees: David Rees MS (Chair), Mark Isherwood MS (Vice Chair), Jeremy Miles MS, Niall Sommerville (Sceretariat), Pete Arnold, Stephen Eales, Faron Moller, Lewis Dean, Dr Geertje van Keulen, Prof. Jas Pal Badyal, Dayna Mason, Wendy Sadler, Steven Neal-Price, Tom Addison, Lloyd Hopkin, Rhobert Lewis, Andy Bellamy, Cerian Angharad, Keith Jones, Robert Hoyle

1) Welcome

Chair David Rees MS welcomed members to the meeting including the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles MS, who is today’s guest speaker.

2) Apologies for absence

Apologies were received from Dr Emma Yhnell, Jack Sargeant MS, Mike Edmunds, Mike Charlton, Leigh Jeffes

3) Minutes of previous meeting and matters arising

Minutes have been circulated to members. The only matter arising was to write to the Minister for Economy and Minister for Education inviting them to the CPG asking them for their vision for STEMM in the Welsh economy and how the education system is set up to achieve this. This has been done.

4) Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles MS

The group welcomed the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles MS. The CPG had written to Mr. Miles following issues raised at previous meetings regarding a lack of STEMM graduates and the knock-on effect this is having on business, investment, and the Welsh economy. This was coupled with issues raised around education – such as a lack of subject specific science teachers, resource issues, curriculum reform, and the impact this has on young people taking STEMM subjects, and subsequently moving into the STEMM sector as a career.

The Minister spoke about the work the Welsh Government is currently undertaking and their priorities including tackling challenges around teacher recruitment and associated incentives as well as the wider role of STEM in the Welsh economy. The Minister then opened to a Q&A with CPG members who raised several topics including curriculum reform, initial teacher education, and CPD. The Minister offered to return to speak to the group at a future meeting to discuss further.

5) AGM

The CPG held its AGM. David Rees MS was re-elected as Chair, Mark Isherwood MS and Jack Sergeant MS were both re-elected as Viche-Chair, and Niall Sommerville, Royal Society of Chemistry, was re-elected as Secretariat. All were re-elected by acclaim.

David Rees MS noted that this will be his final year serving as Chair of the CPG.

6) Update from Welsh Government Office for Science

An update on the work of the Welsh Government Office for Science was provided, by Dr Robert Hoyle and CSA for Wales Prof. Jas Pal Badyal.

7) Updates from professional bodies and learned societies.

Colleagues were invited to submit their written updates to Niall Sommerville for circulation following the meeting.

8) Topics for future meetings

Colleagues were asked to send topics for future meetings to Niall Sommerville. One suggested topic was EDI in STEMM which we will look at in the next meeting.

9) AOB

Prof Faron Muller introduced a short discussion on AI.

David Rees MS asked to write again to Vaughan Gething MS, Minister for the Economy, inviting him to a future meeting to discuss STEMMs role in industrial strategy and beyond.

10) Close of meeting