Inspiring young people to take up STEM education

Global skills shortages could increase as not enough young people are undertaking science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) qualifications - more must be done to address the issue, says CEO of recruiting experts Hays, Alistair Cox.

There is a shortage of people studying STEM subjects and as a result, there is a lack of entrants into skill short roles which remain in demand. In his latest linkedIn Influencer blog, Alistair Cox states parents, educational institutes, businesses and governments the world over need to help tackle the issue by encouraging more young people into STEM subjects.

Alistair says; “To plug this gap, we all have a duty to encourage and inspire our young people to pursue STEM qualifications and careers. If we don’t, all the progress made in innovation could falter.”

Alistair offers his recommendations on how to inspire the next generation;

Bust the myths and change perceptions

Alistair states that one reason behind the unpopularity of STEM subjects could be how they are perceived, with some considering subjects such as maths and science as being boring, or even too difficult. Alistair says this is not the case and more needs to be done to educate young people on how STEM subjects feed into many different areas. 

Alistair says, “STEM professionals really do work on the cutting edge; they are solving real-world problems every day and are playing a key role in shaping our future. These career paths are actually some of the most impactful and exciting around, but sadly this doesn’t seem to be common knowledge.”

Alistair says that while he believes busting these myths can begin at home, the responsibility must also fall to educational institutes, businesses and governments. Alistair explains, “All three must do far more to present STEM as an attractive, accessible option for the next generation, and provide real opportunities and experiences which young people feel compelled to seize with both hands.”

Schools must energise STEM ambitions

In Alistair’s opinion, schools should be doing more to encourage students into these subjects and a good place to begin would be career counselling. Careers advice available to students must be much more robust, better aligned to the needs of business and given throughout the education cycle, not just when it comes to making a decision on a person’s future. There is more information that could be given to young people to help them more informed decisions about their life and future.

Alistair explains, “I believe our institutions should be doing far more to treat students as adults, and frankly our younger people deserve to be honestly informed on which skills are set to be in demand and the opportunities available to them.” 

Equally, business needs to play its part too

Alistair argues that it is unfair to expect educational institutes to shoulder the burden of solving the issue alone. Businesses must help to bridge the gap between school and the world of work. Offering an example of how businesses may achieve this Alistair suggests organisations could offer more work placements to young people still in education, as students who experience ‘job-shadow’ opportunities in STEM environments are more likely to consider it has a career path. Another recommendation is for more businesses to educate people on what a STEM career would entail, for instance Facebook have released a series of educational videos explaining how AI works in the hope of attracting more people to that field.

Alistair says, “Businesses have a wealth of insight on which skills will be most sought after in the future. I think this knowledge should be much better used to help shape curriculum and careers advice in our schools and universities. These organisations should also be helping to bring the lessons to life for students, opening their eyes to the opportunities that a career in STEM can bring.”

Unlock the doors into STEM with government policy

Alistair states another potential reason to young people avoiding STEM subjects could be the number of barriers in place to achieving STEM qualifications, including student debt and the quality of training below degree level. Drawing from his own experience as an apprentice for British Aerospace in the early eighties, Alistair asks if apprenticeships could plug some of the gaps we are witnessing in these areas.

Alistair explains, “Governments should be stepping in to promote apprenticeship opportunities, but should also look to develop new apprenticeships in STEM fields such as science and coding, alongside traditional programmes for engineering. Again, this relies on effective collaboration between government, business and schools.” 

Alistair closes by saying if the issue isn’t addressed, the effects of wide reaching global skills shortages could be dire and STEM can only become a more accessible career choice for many young people when governments, businesses and educational institutes begin to change perceptions and create new opportunities.

Alistair says, “I frequently speak with business leaders who are fearful that productivity will falter if these technical skill shortages continue, but frankly the long-term consequences will be far more severe. If we don’t all act now to inspire a future generation of STEM experts, the rapid progress of the last decade will splutter and stall. Worse, millions of young people will miss out on a wonderful and rewarding career for life.”