UK Acoustics Network Plus provides new resources for IOA outreach

Early positive and inclusive experiences of STEM careers including acoustics are essential to widening access and interest in ‘non-traditional’ subjects and careers.

By Simone Graetzer and Vicky Wills

Above: Helen Sheldon’s WEST poster

In 2024-2025, the UK Acoustics Network Plus (UKAN+) collaborated with Women in Engineering, Science and Technology (WEST), to produce a set of materials on careers in sound for outreach in primary and secondary schools. These can be used to promote acoustics, audiology, audio engineering, sound recording/design and foley, music production and sound-related careers more broadly to primary and secondary school students, amongst others, to draw attention to the careers available in sound, noise and vibration.

The WEST Fund was established in memory of Ros Wall who was instrumental in setting up a range of local and national projects to encourage women and girls to take up careers in non-traditional roles in science, engineering, technology and the built environment. WEST works with brilliant role models to change perceptions about what girls and women can do.

Resources
The full set of UKAN+-WEST materials is now available on the UK Acoustics Network Plus (UKAN+) website and YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/OutreachWEST
For the role model posters and videos, the four job titles highlighted are

• sound and vibration engineer/ acoustical consultant;

• film sound designer;

• DJ; and

• audiologist.

There are four corresponding posters available in both pdf and jpg formats and an outreach e-book containing guidance from WEST. UKAN+ wishes to thank the role models and volunteers, including Helen Sheldon (pictured), Mariana Lopez, Nicole Vasey, Laura Taylor, Lucy Clague and Rebecca Vos. Thanks also to the filmmaker, Rowenna Baldwin, for her wonderful work. Everyone is welcome to use these resources to promote careers in STEM for non-commercial educational or charitable purposes. If you are interested in using them for other purposes, please contact WEST at info@westskills.org.uk. Please share and credit appropriately and send your feedback to Simone at s.n.graetzer@salford.ac.uk

More outreach materials
There are also outreach materials available on the Institute of Acoustics website, such as the careers guide (https://www.ioa.org.uk/news/acoustics-sound-career-2025-produced-institute-acoustics) and the primary school competition (Primary Schools Competition 2025 Flyer.pdf) and young persons competition (ioa_schools_comp_ final.pdf). Additionally, as part of the Project Reverb initiative, a series of activities was created, along with instructions and presentation slides, and these can be found in the membership area of the website (https://www.ioa.org.uk/member-pages/project-reverb-resources). If you are not able to access these, or would like to talk to someone about an upcoming STEM event, please email the committee at STEM@ioa.org.uk

The IOA is currently working on a website for teachers and young people, with links to all resources in one place, with plans to go live in 2026.