LOCAL schoolchildren had a chance to play the stock market recently, thanks to financial technology business, NYSE Euronext. .
The company’s Maths Awareness Day was delivered in partnership with Business in the Community and facilitated by NYSE Euronext’s STEM Ambassadors.
STEM Ambassadors are industry volunteers who engage with the younger generation to act as role models, provide careers advice and demonstrate the application of STEM in the real world.
During the Maths Awareness Day students experienced a ‘day in the life’ of a stock market trader by taking part in the ‘NYSE Euronext Mini Stock Market Challenge’.
Working with NYSE Euronext STEM Ambassadors, students got the opportunity to buy and sell shares and monitor the value of their portfolio as news reports came in from around the world.
Along with STEM Ambassadors from NYSE Euronext, local businesses including Allstate, Deloitte and PwC attended the event to take part in a number of STEM speed networking sessions designed to provide quick, focused advice to students about STEM careers on offer here.
Schools from across Northern Ireland attended the work inspiration day which was delivered as part of NYSE Euronext’s annual NYX Shares employee volunteer programme.
Speaking at the event Paul Wright, Belfast site lead and global head of software development from NYSE Euronext, said: “Today’s Maths Awareness Day has been designed to make maths fun for schoolchildren through games, challenges and face to face contact with STEM role models.
“At NYSE Euronext, whether you are developing or testing software or providing support services to our trading platforms, a solid understanding of maths is vital and we are committed to encouraging the younger generation to pursue study of this exciting and rewarding subject.”