Business looks to STEM subjects for employability skills

In the third annual CBI Education and Skills survey business leaders call on government to ensure that science and mathematics have continued prominence in the school curriculum.

The survey of over 700 influential business leaders reports that whilst 'STEM skills are vital to areas of future growth and employment including advanced manufacturing and low carbon industries' around 45% of employers are currently having difficulty recruiting STEM-skilled staff, with almost six in ten (59%) firms expecting difficulty in the next three years. As a result 42% of employers are calling on government to take action to raise the quantity and quality of STEM graduates.

Perhaps unsurprisingly the survey found that STEM graduates are particularly sought-after in the banking, finance, manufacturing, engineering, energy and construction sectors. However, the desirability of STEM-related degrees is much broader, with employers often preferring to recruit individuals with STEM-related degrees for their highly desirable employability skills.

Director of the National STEM Centre, Jenifer Burden, commented that, 'This report emphasises the importance of STEM skills as the bedrock for innovation in business and industry. Not only do these subjects open doors to a rich and rewarding vista of STEM careers, they also foster the type of employability skills that are valued by all employers - skills of analysis, problem-solving and teamwork. With business experiencing STEM shortages now it is crucial that we continue to support actions that help teachers and lecturers deliver strong subject teaching.'

The survey identified mathematics as top choice A-level by 30% of employers in manufacturing, rising to 47% in construction. In the science and high-tech sector, the single most favoured choice of A-level was physics or chemistry (28%), with mathematics another preferred option (22%).

The survey report can be downloaded from this page.

Further details of the Education and Skills survey are available from the CBI website.