As part of the Government’s Take a Closer Look campaign, which seeks to encourage more young people to consider engineering careers, IMechE is actively encouraging its members to become school governors and trustees.
Our members can use the Inspiring Governance programme, to join local school governing boards and make a positive impact on the lives of young people.
If you missed the live webinar on 19 January 2021, catch the ‘Develop your career while helping shape the future of local schools; become a school governor' webinar on demand:
Engineers are typically well suited to the role of school governors and possess a unique skill set, expertise and experiences that could really benefit a school governing board:
Working as part of a governing board, you will be able to help shape the strategic direction of a school. You will oversee the school’s performance, its budget and act as guardians of its vision and values. You will also challenge and support the head teacher and help them as they raise standards throughout the school.
By volunteering as a school governor, you will be uniquely placed to show young people how rewarding, enjoyable and relevant a career in engineering can be. This will enable you to promote engineering to the next generation and provide the ideal opportunity for continued STEM outreach, including
Typically, the commitment will be to meet each half term with additional monitoring visits to see the school in action and speak to teachers and pupils, alongside preparing for meetings and undertaking training and development.
The Inspiring Governance programme matches volunteers with a school local to where you live or work. You will also be able to search for local governing board vacancies and contact any schools where you are interested in volunteering.
Get in touch if you would like more information about our teacher support initiatives.
Read questions and answers from mechanical engineers who volunteer as school governors and find out why they entered the profession.