What is Outreach and Public Engagement

An innovative academy structure has been applied to materials education in Swansea University, UK. The Materials Academy has multiple levels and layers, from the basic outreach and public engagement required to attract new through to doctoral training. The academy offers multiple paths for progress to all levels. With a diverse mix of talent in the participants, a range of backgrounds and experiences must be catered for in the learning environment, with teaching cycles continuously evaluated to ensure they are appropriate. From the earliest stages of engagement with the academy, learning is student led and industry demand driven. The aim is to fill skills gaps to create an employable workforce for the materials science and engineering industry and contribute positively to economic growth. This chapter described the approach taken at Swansea University, the driving force behind it, explained the features of each stage and interaction of the levels.