YOUNG girls will get help to become the scientists of tomorrow thanks to a new scheme at a school.

On Monday, Furness Academy launched Science Girls, an EU-funded partnership intended to boost involvement in science.

In the UK just under 15 per cent of science, tech, engineering and maths jobs are occupied by women.

Over the next two years staff at the Barrow school will work to encourage girls to carry on studying STEM-based subjects.

Amy Dempster, marketing and events coordinator at the school, said: "It is about trying to encourage girls to carry on with their science work and not drop off, despite research suggesting they do better than boys."

In 2016, girls outperformed boys in STEM subjects at GCSE level, 71 per cent of girls achieved A-C grades compared to 62 per cent of boys.

This superiority is not reflected in the job market. WISE, a campaign group which advocates getting women into STEM jobs, reported under 15 per cent of STEM jobs are filled by women.

Miss Dempster said the project at Furness Academy will try to understand why girls' interest in STEM subjects tails off as they reach the end of their education.

She said: "We're going to look at girls' perceptions towards science, and how they see themselves in the future to build confidence. We'll be looking at female role models in the real world.

"We're one of the worst countries in Europe at encouraging girls into science. It's our job as educators to encourage them into those areas."

Science Girls will partner Furness Academy with schools and colleges as far away as Spain and Romania.

Over the two-year programme, the schools will collaborate to find new ways to keep young girls studying STEM subjects.

Miss Dempster said: "What we do will be based on what the girls suggest. The curriculum will not change, but we might change how we teach. Girls may want more practical lessons or more individual study time."

Companies in the area such as Centrica, BAE and Kimberly-Clark depend on new STEM-trained students to join their workforce, and ensure business in the area thrives.

BAE Systems head of strategy Jackie Arnold, said: "We are delighted to have been invited to contribute to such a worthwhile project. Our workforce has increased from 3,000 in 2003 to 8,000 now and we expect to continue to grow over the coming years.

"To meet this increased demand for talent, we have increased our Early Careers programme in a major way. We now have more than 1,000 young people in Early Careers, ranging from craft trades through technical higher apprenticeships to our graduate programme.

"The number of young women studying STEM subjects continues to increase and we are doing everything we can to encourage that."

Related content:

A Barrow school is growing new ways to expand their curriculum

Two days of spectacular science at a Barrow school has been hailed as a great success