KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 (Bernama) -- The Boeing Company's quest to encourage more Malaysians to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) got off to a flying start this week when some 200 secondary school students got a first-hand experience in aerospace education.

The excited students were taken to the Advanced Super Hornet flight simulator where they learnt to fly the jet fighter aircraft, an experience that would surely spur their curiosity in the aerospace sector and perhaps in becoming a pilot.

Michael Gibbons, Boeing Vice-President for the F/A-18 and EA-18 programmes, said the once-in-a-lifetime experience for the kids at the Aerospace Education Day 2013 at the National Science Centre on Tuesday was something to be savoured.

There were interactive exhibits demonstrating the fundamentals of STEM provided by Boeing and its supplier partners on the Super Hornet fighter jet which included General Electric, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon, he told Bernama today.

Boeing co-sponsored the event as part of its Human Capital Development Initiative, an effort with support from GE, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon to work with Malaysia's leaders in creating holistic education and training programmes that will benefit the country's aerospace industry.

Besides learning the importance of aerospace to Malaysia's future, Gibbons said the cooperation between the government and Boeing could sow the seeds for an aerospace career for local students and in a wider context, spur greater interest in science, technology, engineering and maths.

"Just like in the United States where we are promoting STEM every chance we get, here we are working to partner the government in human capital development by focusing on STEM and specifically the aerospace sector," he said.

"Boeing is a leading edge technology company, whether it's defence or commercial aircraft, and we very much live by figuring out how to do things in advancing the world of technology.

"We believe that the best thing we can do is to show people the opportunities in the aerospace sector and hopefully encourage and excite them to pursue careers in STEM," he said.

And this is something Boeing wants to impart to Malaysian students as part of its commitment to the government.

Read the original here:

Boeing's aerospace education initiative to spur Malaysians' careers on the clouds