- This is Engineering: Schools programme wins major new funding from US-based KLA Foundation for its work in Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent
- Programme shortlisted for two national awards for Wales
An education project designed to inspire students in the Welsh Valleys to consider careers in engineering has been given a major boost thanks to significant new funding from a charity in the United States. It has also made the finals of two national awards.
This is Engineering: Schools – Welsh Valleys, run by the Royal Academy of Engineering, has been awarded a grant of £148,020 from the global nonprofit KLA Foundation. The KLA Foundation is committed to investing in the global communities where KLA operates by expanding access to high-quality education and supporting community-centred solutions that help people thrive. The new funding will allow the Academy to expand its work to improve social mobility among young people in deprived areas of the Welsh Valleys by enhancing science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) uptake, attainment and progression in schools.
The County Borough Councils of Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent County face significant STEM skills challenges, and according to the Social Mobility Commission are ranked among the least socially mobile areas in the UK. Wales as a whole produces only around 600 STEM graduates annually against a demand for 1,000 STEM graduates. There is also a 21 per cent skills gap in advanced manufacturing and higher levels of education in the South Wales Valleys, limiting young people’s access to high-skilled careers and upward social mobility.
Dr Rhys Morgan, Senior Principal Consultant, Education and Skills, at the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:
“This is Engineering: Schools – Welsh Valleys has been developing centres of excellence in STEM teaching and learning for the past eight years and is currently working with 54 primary and secondary schools and colleges in the two County Borough Councils of Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent as well as in Caerphilly.
“Thanks to the KLA Foundation, the Academy will be able to provide 16 of the schools in Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent with valuable extra support to boost STEM teaching and learning. Over two years the programme will engage nearly 4,000 students aged 4-16 in engineering experiences and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM.”
The new funding will help enhance tailored continuing professional development and networking opportunities for teachers to collaborate and share best practice. It will also provide valuable support for schools to enhance the STEM curriculum and provide extracurricular and employer-led activities that add real-world context to the curriculum.
This is Engineering: Schools – Welsh Valleys has also recently been selected as a finalist for the Educational Programme of the Year (non-for-profit) category at the Wales STEM Awards 2026, with the winner to be announced at a ceremony on 1 October, and has been nominated by Transport for Wales for a Spotlight National Rail Award 2027.
Dr Morgan adds: “Huge thanks must go to the coordinator teachers, local authorities, employers, colleges, universities, government representatives and others who have collaborated with us on this project to make it such a success. That the programme has attracted funding from government, industry and the third sector is testimony to how important place-based initiatives like this are.”
Notes for editors
- Started by the Panasonic Trust and the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2018, This is Engineering: Schools – Welsh Valleys is the continuation and expansion of the former Welsh Valleys Engineering Project. The programme brings the STEM curriculum to life for pupils in schools and colleges through activities that increase their knowledge and experience of real-world engineering. A key strength of the programme is its targeted, community-based approach, working within a defined geographic area, building trusted relationships with coordinator teachers, local authorities, employers, colleges, universities, government representatives and other stakeholders. The programme has supported over 20,000 young people since it was established and during the 2025–2026 academic year, more than 3,500 pupils from 43 primary and secondary schools in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and Merthyr Tydfil participated in employer engagement activities. After a major increase in funding from the Welsh Government Tech Valleys programme and the Panasonic Trust in 2024, the programme has also been working with 20 schools in Caerphilly.
- KLA Corporation ('KLA') develops industry-leading equipment and services that enable innovation throughout the electronics industry. We provide advanced process control and process-enabling solutions for manufacturing wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, and printed circuit boards. In close collaboration with leading customers across the globe, our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers design solutions that move the world forward.