The supply and demand for STEM skills in the UK
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee will hold the second evidence session of its new inquiry: People and skills in UK science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
This evidence session will be focused on the “supply and demand” for STEM skills in the UK.
The Government’s aim of increasing the share of GDP spent on R&D to 2.4% by 2027 will require a workforce with suitable STEM skills as well as teachers able to train the next generation of researchers. This high-skilled workforce is also critical to deliver on key policy objectives such as achieving net zero. The Committee will seek perspectives from educators, trainers, recruiters and employers on whether there is a STEM skills gap in the UK, and any areas where the skills gap is particularly acute. It will seek to learn whether the Government’s current policies for STEM skills training, both in terms of lifelong learning and education in schools and Universities, are sufficient to meet this challenge. It will ask recruiters and industry specialists what more needs to be done to ensure they have a sufficient supply of skilled workers to meet demand in the future.
Meeting details
Possible question areas
- Specific areas of STEM skills that the UK is lacking in now and will need in the future
- The adequacy of any measures the Government is currently undertaking to address the skills gap, including retraining the workforce
- Whether there are enough teachers and educators with STEM expertise to fulfil the skills demand and what the Government can do to address this
- What can be done to encourage cross-cutting careers that allow people to develop skills in academia, industry, government, and other sectors, as well as across a range of disciplines
- Whether there is anything the Government can learn from international competitors, or successful policies pursued by previous governments, to address the skills gap