Delivering STEM skills for the economy inquiry
Closed
What the inquiry looked at
“Over the past two decades, government has been concerned with improving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills in the UK workforce to help improve productivity and economic growth. The current government’s 2017 Industrial Strategy policy paper recognised the importance of STEM skills for the future of UK industries. According to a recent report by the National Audit Office , the government is currently unsure of the nature of any STEM skills shortage as estimates vary. The report also found evidence of a STEM skills ‘mismatch’ with some areas—for example technicians—experiencing higher demand than others. Although some initiatives to address STEM skills shortages have been successful there remain problems. For example, women remain underrepresented in STEM courses and jobs, and in 2016 only 24% of those with STEM degrees were working in a STEM field six months after graduation. The Committee will ask representatives from the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy about their understanding of the current STEM skills shortage, whether current initiatives are performing adequately, and how to ensure past problems in developing STEM skills do not recur.”
The committee's words, from the inquiry page on parliament.uk ↗.
What it found
STEM skills are crucial for the UK’s productivity, and a shortage of STEM skills in the workforce is one of our key economic problems. The future workforce relies on many more children and young people being encouraged to take STEM subjects and enter STEM careers. Government is not well placed to understand the extent of the challenge and ensure the supply of STEM skills, especially in the context of withdrawal from the European Union. In particular, there remains a need to address marked gender imbalances in several areas of STEM learning and work—demonstrated, for example, by the fact that only 8% of STEM apprenticeship starts are undertaken by women. The quality of careers advice in schools is patchy at best, perpetuating misconceptions about STEM careers. In addition, the way that schools are funded will restrict the likelihood of pupils moving to other, more STEM-focused learning providers, such as the new institutes of technology. To make better-informed decisions, departments also need to tackle the apparent lack of industry and commercial experience on their STEM boards and working groups.
What the government said
No government response is linked to this report.
How the inquiry ran
Each dot is a dated item listed on this page, from the inquiry's opening on 11 April 2018 to 22 June 2018.
- Oral evidence 18 Apr 2018
- Report 22 Jun 2018
What it recommended
The committee's recommendations are not listed here yet. Read them in 47th Report - Delivering STEM skills for the economy ↗ on parliament.uk.
Evidence
Oral evidence sessions 1
- 18 Apr 2018No witnesses recordedparliament.uk ↗