Event
1st August
REflect!
People from Global Ethnic Majorities (GEM) are under-represented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths). With technology increasingly touching most aspects of our lives, it’s of the utmost importance that there is diversity in engineering to ensure that it serves everyone in our society.
RS Grass Roots is the dedicated Education brand of RS Components. Our annual flagship event, REflect, founded in 2019, is back this year in collaboration with the Association for Black & Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE) and The Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET).
In 2022 we had two sides to our event, one dedicated to the youth - those aged 16-25 with an interest in engineering and technology - and one dedicated to the businesses that are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Thank you so much to all the vibrant, untapped young talent who showed up and to the incredible people who are part of our growing community celebrating role models and nurturing the next generations of #GEMinSTEMPast Events
Past Events
2019
On 1st August 2019, we held the first ever REflect event at Hawker House in London. We engaged with young people from the BAME & low socioeconomic communities through an inspirational event which showcased engineering & technology and highlighted cool opportunities in this industry which they may not have had access to before. Delegates learnt that they can have rewarding careers regardless of their background.
2020
On 31st July 2020, we held our second REflect event ONLINE! The morning session was for companies, and those in business, to learn about and understand the facts and statistics on under-representation of BAME role models and senior leaders in organisations. The speakers offered advice on how to tangibly take steps to address and fix this from within, or partner with organisations that can help. The afternoon session was to inspire young people (18-25 years old) with talks from motivational speakers who shared their success stories to break down barriers and show them that they can be whatever they want to be with the right attitude and mindset.
2021
The third REflect collaboration with RS Grass Roots & The IET. The online event committed to inspiring young people from diverse ethnic backgrounds and demonstrating the ways in which companies are working to promote inclusivity in the workplace. The event was split into two sessions, one aimed at young people and the other aimed at businesses. As well as our line-up of incredible speakers in the main room, we had engaging sessions in our breakout rooms..
2022
In 2022 we had two sides to our event, one dedicated to the youth - those aged 16-25 with an interest in engineering and technology - and one dedicated to the businesses that are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Thanks to those who joined us for REFLECT 2022! Reflect was an uplifting celebration of exceptionally talented people! People from the Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) are underrepresented in STEM and we need positive action to address this fact.