Why the new government must encourage the next generation of STEM careers
The debate about women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) is not new, but it is a persistent concern in the tech industry. New research has found that while the UK is on track to become a ‘science and technology superpower’, the number of girls in England taking a GCSE in computing has more than halved in less than a decade.
At the same time, the digital skills gap continues to impact technology teams. With an ever-growing list of emerging technologies requiring an increasingly sophisticated skill set, the industry is struggling to keep up. The fact that women are still severely underrepresented in the industry is a major obstacle to closing this skills gap.
Now more than ever, we need to encourage the next generation as a whole to embrace tech skills and bring new talent into the sector. Because how can we truly address this skills gap when girls are significantly less confident about choosing STEM subjects?
Senior Technical Manager at 3M and Ambassador for Women in STEM.
The responsibility of the government
The responsibility for encouraging young people to choose STEM careers does not fall on one group. Parents and teachers clearly have a huge influence on young people’s early development at home and in school, but they are not the only ones who play a role.
We recently found that over half of British adults believe that government has a crucial role to play in encouraging young people to start their careers, with 50% saying businesses should take responsibility.
Governments have considerable influence over our country’s education provision and therefore have the power to encourage more diverse and inclusive STEM education in schools. In recent years, we have not seen the government use this power to its fullest extent. However, we are at a pivotal time in UK politics and we hope that the newly elected government will do more to encourage women to choose STEM careers. The incoming Education and Science Ministers, Bridget Philipson and Peter Kyle, have taken some encouraging early steps and their appointments have been largely welcomed by industry, but much work remains to be done and results will take time.
Whether it’s revising curricula, or offering more scholarships and diverse STEM opportunities, there are a number of steps that government can take to ensure that young girls have an equal chance in the science and technology sector. Developing a wider range of practical qualifications and apprenticeships can help to increase access and open up new routes into industry for those who may have previously shied away from a STEM career.
Feeding the tech sector with diverse talent
Given the new UK government’s long list of priorities, why is it so important that promoting STEM careers doesn’t disappear from the agenda?
The future of the science and technology industries is bright, with nearly 7 in 10 agreeing that STEM jobs are the future of work. However, this continued lack of diversity and representation across all STEM roles will inevitably continue to hold the industry back.
Within tech teams, diverse perspectives drive innovation and growth. The broader the range of ideas and skills available, the faster and more effectively we can solve problems. To solve the diverse society we live in today, we need to represent everyone. We must therefore ensure that tech teams do not miss out on the enormous potential that underrepresented groups offer to close the STEM skills gap.
To attract and retain women in these sectors, tech leaders must tackle workplace bias and culture. The government can also do more to address childcare affordability, as high childcare costs continue to rise in the UK. By implementing family-friendly policies, expanding childcare support and offering flexible working arrangements, the government and employers can work together to create an inclusive environment that supports all workers, particularly women and parents, and promotes greater diversity and progression.
Harnessing the power of role models
Women are a source of untapped potential. There is one simple thing that everyone can do to change this narrative: provide role models in the industry who can lead by example. Having STEM role models has been shown to significantly increase girls’ interest in these fields, as careers are often sparked by having relatable and successful people to look up to.
Whether it’s working parents who need relatable role models to share how they balance their life and work, or young girls who can be mentored and inspired by caring STEM teachers, role models can come in many forms. For many, myself included, inspiring teachers can help guide people on the path to a career in STEM.
We need to debunk the myth of genius and instead show that people who work in science, technology and engineering are just like everyone else. By encouraging current STEM workers to share stories about their daily work, we can highlight the wide variety of jobs and careers in the sector, as well as the diversity of people within the STEM workforce.
My vision is that every woman considering or navigating a STEM career has a sky full of role models – both stars and streetlights. The stars are the brilliant people to aspire to, who break glass ceilings and shatter stereotypes; but the stars are far away. Closer to home are the streetlights: the friends, family, teachers, mentors and volunteers who hold our hands and light the way.
Shifting the STEM Narrative
The overarching aim is to support those who want to work in the STEM industry, whilst also opening the door for those who may not have considered the industry as a viable career option for them. All students should feel empowered to choose science, technology, engineering and maths when it comes time to consider qualifications and careers.
However, the focus is not just on young people at the start of their careers. We also need to support those who are navigating the industry and their working lives, to ensure the number of women leaving the industry does not continue to rise. By breaking down stereotypes and giving women and young people relatable role models to look up to, we can encourage them to pursue and excel in STEM careers.
Government and businesses in the STEM sector must work together to break down persistent stereotypes about people and careers in STEM. To do this, we urge them to engage with all generations to demonstrate the wide range of future possibilities in STEM career paths – ensuring that the opportunities available serve as a springboard into the sector and that the right support is available to help both young people and professionals in the industry continue to develop their skills.
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