What is the availability of skilled individuals for STEM careers? Share your thoughts

The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee launches an inquiry into people and skills in STEM in the UK.

The Committee is seeking to understand whether the UK remains an attractive place for international science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent and whether recent visa reforms positively effect attracting those from overseas by way of a new inquiry.

The Government plans to increase the proportion of UK gross domestic product spent on research and development (R&D) from the current 1.74% to 2.4% by 2027, as part of its aim to make the UK a ‘science and tech superpower’ by 2030.

Increasing R&D spending will require a workforce with sufficient STEM skills and teachers with adequate STEM knowledge to educate the next generation. The Committee is interested in the skills the UK workforce is currently lacking and will need in future, and what measures the Government can take to address any skills gaps.

The inquiry will explore questions around four themes:

• What more should be done to make the UK an attractive place for people with STEM skills to move to?
• What STEM skills is the UK lacking and what skills are likely to be in high demand in future?
• What measures is the Government taking to address any STEM skills gap?
• What major challenges face those in academic scientific careers at present, and have these careers become less attractive?

The Committee invites written submissions to its inquiry by 6 September 2022.

IOM3 is seeking the views of members to help develop evidence to contribute to this inquiry. To share your thoughts on any of the above questions, please contact r[email protected] by 19 August.