Oakridge students excel in robotics as province announces STEM funding

Robotics students are excited to learn of new government funding earmarked for STEM related courses. CTV London's Bryan Bicknell reports.

The Oakridge Secondary School robotics team has returned from an international competition in Houston, Texas last week, with a new perspective on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

“I’m really hoping to be an engineer, specifically mechanical or aerospace,” explained Oliver Chen, 16, a member of the Oakbotics robotics team who took part in the FIRST Robotics Championships.

“Last week’s championships, it was really fun. I saw it as a great way to get many opportunities. There were tonnes of companies, universities, that I went up to talk to,” added Chen.

Chen was part of more than 50 team members who took part in the event, which aids young people in their pursuit of careers in STEM.

Also taking part, 17-year-old Oakridge student Rachel Thompson.

“I’ve learned so many hard skills about like the different fields in STEM, science, engineering, technology. How to build the robot, and how to manage money. But a lot of soft skills like communication and teamwork,” she said.

Team member Danika Watson, 17, said she wants to pursue a career in business, but she enjoys being part of the robotics community.

“What attracts me to robotics is really the community, and just like the competitive non-competitiveness of it, and just like the amount of stuff that you get to do, and the amount of fields that you get to touch,” said Watson.

And for these future engineers, scientists, and business leaders, the timing couldn’t be better. Speaking at McMaster University in Hamilton Tuesday, Nolan Quinn, Ontario’s Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, announced $750 million dollars in funding to support STEM programs at colleges and universities across the province.

“This critical investment will fund up to 20,500 STEM seats every year, giving students access to cutting edge programs, hands-on learning opportunities, and real-world work placements with employers, so that when they graduate, they are ready to take on careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by storm,” said Quinn.

According to the provincial government, applications from Ontario students to STEM undergraduate programs at Ontario universities increased by 34 per cent from 2020 to 2024.

Oakridge FIRST Robotics Lead Mentor, teacher Andrew Goddard, said high school students with a STEM background will be better prepared to fill those seats.

“Offering them an opportunity to sort of dip their toe in and see what it’s like is a valuable experience for them. And there’s lots of jobs that are going to be available, especially if, the tariff situation … and Ontario and Canada is looking at developing their own space in the industry,” said Goddard.