THE UK still struggles to interest young people in science and technology (S&T) and therefore suffers from a relative lack of enthusiastic and well qualified people to energise our businesses.

This needs to change, fast, and that change needs to start right down at school level. Some very good news is that York is right at the heart of improving this position as it gets under way with development of the National Science Learning Centre (NSLC).

It's difficult to overestimate how important this initiative is if we really want to compete on the international stage and, as businesses, vie for trade in the global marketplace. And, of course, it's not just science and technology for their own sake or being used in more obviously S&T businesses: Every aspect of our lives and business is now influenced by science, engineering and technology, and we ignore this at our peril.

So, the fact that York, as part of the White Rose University consortium along with Sheffield Hallam University, won the bid to host the £11 million hub of a national scientific network is a vital contribution to regenerating the UK's economy.

The network - www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk - will aim to improve the way science is taught in schools, bringing back excitement and enthusiasm for the subject.

In any enterprise of this sort, it goes without saying there's going to be an inspirational man or woman behind it. In this case it's Professor John Holman, who is the Salters Professor of Chemical Education at the University of York and who has a career where every move has been testimony to his commitment to improving the quality of science teaching and the development of teachers.

When you listen to John, whether expounding on the objectives of the National Network of Science Learning Centres (NSLC) or giving one of his own inimitable chemistry lectures, you cannot but wish that his knowledge and enthusiasm could be cloned into every science teacher in the UK.

Thankfully, perhaps, modern science can't do that yet, but the NSLC will try and re-enthuse and update teachers with the knowledge and skills that will help support them in the absolutely crucial task of educating the next generation of scientists.

The NSLC building is already 90 per cent complete on the University of York campus and is expected to open for customers from the beginning of November.

It is a striking building with state of the art facilities that will allow science teachers to have a real "career landmark" experience with excellence pervading every aspect of the visit, including accommodation and food.

There will be courses for staff at all levels of science teaching in schools including, for example, leadership for impact, new and aspiring heads of science and technicians, leaders in science education.

There will also be other opportunities, such as the Institute of Physics Einstein Bursaries that will fund intensive two-week projects for outstanding teachers, mini-sabbatical leaves and bespoke courses and conferences.

Once again, York stands at the very centre of an important national initiative, but it isn't just a matter of bringing science teachers here and helping in their continuing professional development. We need to show that York is an exemplar of good practice in all that we preach, not least in improving the number and quality of science-trained pupils emerging from schools and going on to university, so that in the future the country can depend upon a solid supply of young, dynamic, entrepreneurial graduates capable of making our businesses hum.

The National Science Learning Centre is, quite literally, at the very hub of that process.

Updated: 09:32 Wednesday, August 03, 2005