Cover photo: State government, industry giants and schools are stepping up to address STEM learning decline through Penang STEM’s Step Up programme. Seen here are representatives from the participating MNCs and SMEs, and from various schools with Penang STEM chairman Prof. Dr P. Ramasamy and chief minister Chow Kon Yeow during the official launch.
Ask a school kid today what they want to be when they grow up, and the answer might vary vastly from the old answers of “lawyer”, “doctor” or “engineer”. These days, “technopreneur”, “influencer” or “professional gamer” may be the response instead.
Around the world, teenagers are creating apps. Case in point: in America, Michael Sayman was only 13 when he built his first smartphone app; he was subsequently offered an internship with Facebook, which led to a full-time job. Sayman, now 23, is a millionaire. He is also listed in Forbes 30 under 30 2019 list.
“Students today are hooked on social media,” says Richard Chung, general manager of Penang STEM – a platform that brings together various independent Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning organisations to create a synergistic ecosystem in Penang.
