Widening the Aspirations of Young People towards Digital and wider STEM Careers: A Case Study from the DIGISTEM Programme

Globally, the future of work is changing with organisations increasingly reliant on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills and related expertise. In developing countries such as Nigeria, professionals with these skills and expertise are also in high demand. With changes in healthcare, education, economic growth and sustainable development, there is an urgent need to increase the number of young people choosing to study and work in STEM, and particularly digital technologies and engineering. Previous research has identified that the traditional instructivist and theoretical approach to teaching often used in Nigeria and other developing countries can be a major barrier to young people, who can often regard STEM subjects and careers as not for `people like them' and/or have very narrow perspectives of opportunities in the STEM sector. It also means that young people are not equipped to take their place as digital citizens in today's global society. The DIGISTEM programme was commissioned by the Ekiti State Government in Nigeria and sponsored by the World Bank to provide a novel approach to address these challenges. This paper presents its overall vision. Using an action research approach, a set of carefully designed interactions were conducted with young people and their schools and teachers. The initial results from this are presented and demonstrate that there is an urgent need to transform educational practice in this and other similar regions to provide a more authentic and active learning experience that prepares young people to be career-ready global digital citizens.