UK Employers Urge More Focus on Science and Technology
A survey for the Confederation of British Industry and the vocational qualifications body EDI has found that almost half of all employers are finding it difficult to fill vacancies in jobs requiring qualifications in the so-called “Stem” subjects – science, technology, engineering and maths.
An even greater number of employers feared that there would be even more shortages over the next three years, unless the problem is addressed by A level colleges. London is home to some of the brightest and best such colleges, and will stand at the forefront of efforts to tackle skills shortages.
CBI director general Richard Lambert told the Guardian newspaper that “as we move further into recovery and businesses plan for growth, the demand for people with high-quality skills and qualifications will intensify.”
"In the future, people with qualifications in science and maths will be particularly sought after, and firms say it is already hard to find people with the right technical or engineering skills. The new government must make encouraging more young people to study science-related subjects a top priority."
In the CBI survey, two thirds of employers believed that the government should be taking more action to promote maths and science at schools and A level colleges in London and across the rest of the UK. Half of all employers wanted official funding protection for Stem subjects at A level and 42 per cent thought that all three main sciences should be available as separate GCSE qualifications.
Research has also revealed that science and engineering graduates can expect the best starting salaries – for entry level jobs, only graduate lawyers and managers can expect to be earning more.
When they leave their sixth forms or A level colleges, London students should be confident they have the necessary skills to succeed in the workplace, respondents overwhelmingly agreed. The A level subjects considered the most useful by employers were business studies, maths, English, chemistry and physics.
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