A 'Great Way to Get On'? The Early Career Destinations of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Graduates

Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading   Processing Request
Read More Add to Saved list
  • Author(s): Smith, Emma; White, Patrick
  • Language:
    English
  • Source:
    Research Papers in Education. 2017 32(2):231-253.
  • Publication Date:
    2017
  • Document Type:
    Journal Articles
    Reports - Research
  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      23
    • Education Level:
      Higher Education
      Postsecondary Education
    • Subject Terms:
      STEM Education; College Graduates; Careers; Unemployment; Employment Level; Education Work Relationship; Employers; Expectation; Statistical Analysis; Foreign Countries; Employment Opportunities; Comparative Analysis
    • Subject Terms:
      United Kingdom
    • Accession Number:
      10.1080/02671522.2016.1167236
    • ISSN:
      0267-1522
    • Abstract:
      Concerns about a shortage of highly skilled workers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sector have been expressed frequently since the late 1940s. Although these claims have been challenged as being insufficiently grounded in evidence, they have formed the basis of policies directing considerable resources to STEM education, particularly in the university sector. This paper uses data from the Higher Education Statistical Agency from 1994 to 2010, covering more than three million UK graduates, to contribute to the existing research into the purported skills gap in the STEM sector. It examines their destinations six months after graduation to establish the proportion of graduates from different subject areas that enter graduate careers, with a particular focus on STEM graduates and highly skilled STEM occupations. The findings show that only a minority of graduates enter "graduate" positions within six months of finishing their degree and many find themselves unemployed or underemployed. Overall, STEM graduates fare little better than non-STEM graduates and while graduates in some STEM subjects fare slightly better than average, those with other STEM degrees fare worse than those with non-STEM degrees. The findings appear incompatible with a true shortage of potential STEM workers and raise questions about employers' expectations and the continued subsidisation of STEM degrees.
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Number of References:
      49
    • Publication Date:
      2017
    • Accession Number:
      EJ1129673