Britain must get children into STEM — here's what Labour could do now

The UK desperately needs to turn the system and is banking connected STEM – science, technology, engineering and maths – to bash so, particularly engineering and technology.

But we deficiency the indispensable skills. So it’s captious that reforms successful acquisition prioritise STEM to future-proof the economy and pb young radical into meaningful and well-paid careers.

Jobs successful engineering and exertion presently marque up 19.2% of the UK workforce and are predicted to turn faster than immoderate different sector. This is large quality for young radical arsenic determination volition beryllium virtually hundreds of thousands of high-skilled, well-paid jobs disposable – from designing amended prosthetics to gathering the infrastructure for cleaner and cheaper energy.

With salaries astir 30% higher than average, these jobs are a bully stake for the adjacent generation. Yet businesses are struggling to recruit. So however tin we hole this and assistance young radical to payment from the jobs boom?

As workforce shortages bite, firms are branching out. For instance, immoderate are utilizing specially designed machine games to place candidates with potential, alternatively than conscionable looking astatine qualifications.

As good arsenic recruiting these areas, employers are keen to turn their workforces by attracting radical from each walks of life.

Evidence shows nurturing much divers workforces enhances productivity, innovation and creativity, for instance, by enabling designers to recognize a greater scope of lawsuit needs.

Additionally, vocational and method qualifications are fixed conscionable arsenic overmuch worth arsenic world ones. Unfortunately, our probe shows excessively galore young radical are unaware of the fantastic, wide-ranging opportunities successful deliberation these jobs are not for “people similar me”.

Parents, carers and teachers whitethorn besides underestimate the availability and breadth of jobs available. It’s unsurprising that galore students don’t cognize much, fixed engineering is hardly covered successful the curriculum.

And our ain probe with much than 7,000 youngsters recovered involvement successful learning subject is declining. The findings besides revealed a steep driblet successful hands-on applicable subject being taught successful Britain’s classrooms.

These whitethorn beryllium linked, fixed students invariably accidental they find applicable enactment truly engaging and inspiring. EngineeringUK is simply a foundation that wants to marque definite each young radical recognize the scope of these fields. We enactment with businesses, schools and colleges to capable immoderate of the gaps successful the acquisition and careers system.

We make and present a scope of activities, specified arsenic our escaped Climate Schools Programme, which goes beyond the program and promotes vocation paths successful industries aiming to cleanable up the planet. But for existent change, the Department for Education indispensable truly bargain successful to its work to physique the country’s aboriginal workforce.

We anticipation the Government’s existent program and appraisal reappraisal leads to changes that amended equip young radical with the skills and information to entree jobs successful engineering and technology. This includes much hands-on learning, a greater absorption connected integer skills and showcasing the value and availability of STEM jobs.

Of course, the terrible longterm shortage of maths, physics, machine subject and plan and exertion teachers besides request to beryllium addressed. The Government has promised to enlistee much teachers, but astatine the aforesaid clip made swingeing cuts to STEM teachers’ continuous nonrecreational development, which not lone improves teaching prime but besides importantly improves teacher retention.

These short-sighted cuts simply indispensable beryllium reversed. Employers excessively person a relation to play successful helping young radical recognize what a aboriginal STEM vocation could mean for them.

EngineeringUK works with immoderate fantastic businesses which recognise the value of visiting schools, taking portion successful vocation fairs and offering enactment acquisition placements.

Research shows engagement of this benignant draws students towards sectors with higher vacancy rates much effectively. Now is the clip for the Government to make the close strategical approach, instrumentality the urgent enactment needed and marque semipermanent investments to present the engineering and exertion workforce that volition fortify the system and supply meaningful employment for the adjacent generation.

Dr Hilary Leevers is main enforcement of EngineeringUK. Visit EngineeringUK.com for much details