Leading figures from industry and policy came together at the Palace of Westminster this week for a meeting hosted by the Haringey STEM commission to explore ways to improve education in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects and increase access to STEM employment opportunities.
Chaired by journalist Robert Peston and introduced by Cllr Claire Kober, the Leader of Haringey Council, the event considered the question of what skills today’s school students will need to prosper in the world after 2030.
Roger Carr, the Chairman of BAE Systems focused on the need to encourage greater gender equality in STEM jobs, saying: “We have to encourage girls and young women to see STEM careers as exciting and ones they are ideally suited for.”
The panel also stressed the importance of combining STEM skills with learning from other areas and subjects.
Katie O’Donovan, Public Policy and Government Relations Manager at Google UK, said: “We need a digitally literate workforce. We want a broad base of understanding that can be applied across all subjects.”
Angus Knowles-Cutler, Vice Chairman and London Senior Partner, at Deloitte said: “We are seeing people almost over-specialise, we are looking for breadth”, a point echoed by Peter Hyman, head teacher at School 21 in Stratford.
“You have got to have subjects combining at school, you can’t have narrow silos” he said, adding: “We are doing far too many exams at school, which stops you having the broader curriculum.”
With researching showing that employers find it difficult to fill the close to three million UK jobs that require STEM skills, Andy Haldane, Chief Economist at the Bank of England another panellist at the event, cited the economic benefits of ensuring those leaving education have the skills which employers require.
“As a country we are 20 times richer than we were in 1850 and 90 percent of that income has been as a result of improved productivity, and within that 90 percent it is the skills of the workforce that have held the key to productivity.”
The event follows a number of evidence session from the Haringey STEM Commission, in which residents, experts and organisations have shared their ideas and opinions on STEM education and employment to help inform the commission’s report due next year.
The Haringey STEM Commission was established by Cllr Kober. She said: “It’s fantastic that the Haringey STEM Commission is able to draw on the insights of such well-regarded figures as the Chief Economist at the Bank of England and the Chairman of BAE Systems.
“Such evidence will be invaluable in helping to think about the how we can improve uptake and attainment in the STEM subjects and enable more Haringey residents to access careers in these sectors.”
The Haringey STEM Commission is led by Baroness Sally Morgan – who chaired the House of Lords Select Committee on Digital Skills last year – and boasts an expert panel including Robert Peston, former Tomorrow’s World host and co-founder and CEO of TeenTech CIC Maggie Philbin and Michael McKenzie, head teacher at Alexandra Park School, Haringey. It will publish its report next year.