Inspiring the Next Generation

As part of our Sustainability agenda, Victrex has a long track record of supporting local communities where we operate across the globe, aiming to inspire our employees and communities to positively impact sustainability development through strategic partnerships. In this blog we’ll look at some of this years’ highlights.

STEM Focused

Much of our community activity is focused on the next generation of talent, including continued support of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (‘STEM’) learning.

We are proud of our growing, global network of Victrex STEM Ambassadors who are dedicated to community volunteering and consultation within local schools and colleges across our regions.

Because of their passion and commitment Victrex exceeded 2023 targets of 2,500 contacts with young people and1000 devoted employee hours to community activity, achieving 2,942 and 1, 520 respectively.

Celebrating Women in STEM

Working collaboratively with the UK’s Speakers for Schools, Victrex women from engineering, science and technical roles hosted a workshop aimed at breaking down stereotypes of women careers in STEM. Leading by example, they shared their experiences to encourage everyone interested to pursue their career goals.

Also, as part of International Women’s day celebrations, Victrex sponsored and participated in the Fylde Coast International Women’s Day Festival, hosting a UK-wide audience of young women aged 14+ at Blackpool Sixth Form College. Several workshops, a career marketplace, a panel of inspirational women, and various presentations led by women, including from Victrex, were delivered on the day.

UK National Apprenticeship Week

Apprenticeships play an important role for Victrex to nurture talent in-house. Science Industry Partnership, an employer-led membership alliance committed to the growth and development of a world-class workforce for science industries, is one of our key strategic partnerships in the UK. Our R&D Director, caught up with them as part of their National Apprenticeship Week campaign, read more here.

Victrex STEM school science workshop

Chemistry at Work Week

The Catalyst Science and Discovery Center is dedicated to being a chemistry focussed visitor attraction. Victrex supported their “Chemistry at Work Week”, holding interactive workshops, with experiments where visitors could roll up their sleeves and get involved, and learn about the fascinating possibilities of high quality PEEK polymers. You can learn more about Chemistry at Work Week here.

Growing Our Global STEM Outreach

There's plans to continue to growing our STEM outreach activity, including hosting Research & Development University students at our Shanghai Technology centre, China work experience for high school students at our manufacturing site in Rotherham, UK and a collaboration with Speakers for Schools from our medical product development centre in Leeds, watch this space for updates!

Expanding our Impact

To increase our social value in the UK, we are collaborating with three local Special Educational Needs schools as well as select primary schools in disadvantaged areas, exciting and inspiring them into career possibilities and opportunities to learning about PEEK polymers.