The UK’s National Motorsport Academy (NMA) has announced a partnership with the Global Karting League (GKL) as its official education partner, widening the educational opportunities for young people aged 6-16 within the motorsport industry. With 500,000 unfulfilled STEM job roles in the UK and many young drivers often skipping formal education to pursue a professional driving career, the NMA has set out to help mitigate this situation.
Founded by ex-F1 engineer Rob Smedley, GKL is an all-electric electric karting championship, dedicated to providing an affordable pathway to the top of motorsport. As part of GKL’s STEM learning program, racers receive free formal education, including race coaching and data analytics, alongside comprehensive training modules in STEM subjects. These modules are designed not only to enhance technical skills but also to provide a strong educational background that can be applied to various career paths within and outside of motorsport.
The NMA will leverage its 35 years of experience to play a role in developing the STEM resources used in GKL’s program. These resources are tailored for each cohort of racing talent, significantly improving the educational experience for all racers involved with GKL, regardless of age or ability. In addition, the NMA will work to engage with GKL racers during select events. Their team of experienced NMA tutors will provide interactive speaker sessions and hands-on activities during race day breaks.
These sessions will cover a wide range of topics, from the latest advances in racing technology to practical mechanical skills, ensuring that racers gain a comprehensive understanding of the sport. This direct engagement aims to further enhance the learning experience for GKL racers, maximizing their potential both on and off the track.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Global Karting League as their education partner,” said Dr Kieran Reeves, director of motorsport at the NMA. “ It is excellent to see the vision from GKL: not only will the participants be taking part in kart racing but they will have to follow an engineering academic program for their appropriate age group.
“We are excited to assist with this development that ensures racers will be gaining valuable STEM knowledge throughout their driving career. It means that they will have a mechanical background to further assist their chosen careers as they age.”
