GEES SC - STEM

GEES and the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) agenda

What is STEM?

The term 'STEM', and in particular the 'science' element, covers a wide range of disciplines, including biosciences, chemistry, physics, engineering, maths, and, in particular within the GEES subjects, Earth Sciences and Environmental Sciences. Geography has recently been reclassified as 'part-STEM' by HEFCE, acknowledging the STEM nature of Physical Geography. There are a number of STEM-related initiatives in the UK at present, both as school and HE level, due to the recognition by government and employers that STEM disciplines are 'strategically important' to the economy.

Why is the STEM Agenda Important?

STEM disciplines are recognised as being essential for the UK economy, ensuring that the UK has a skilled workforce able to compete in a global market, and that the school Science Curriculum is able to develop and support students who aim to take STEM-related FE and HE degrees. It is also acknowledged by government and the schools sector that trends in demand for Maths and the three core science subjects (subjects that are part of the 'feedstock' for GEES disciplines in HE) are either flat, or falling.

The STEM Agenda, and how it relates to School Curriculum and funding at HE level is therefore of direct importance to the physical and natural sciences side of the GEES disciplines: the supply of STEM graduates is crucially dependent on the earlier supply of those with the requisite A Level (or equivalent) qualifications, and how many prospective students choose to continue study STEM courses at HE.

What is the Particular Relevance of STEM to GEES?

In a recent poll (October 2008) carried out by the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Network (STEMNET, http://www.stemnet.org.uk/) it was found that UK STEM professionals think the need to tackle climate change is the biggest single challenge facing the world in the coming decade. It is also clear that the government now sees a low carbon economy as an essential ingredient to economic recovery.

The CBI has identified the need for workforce skills to be developed throughout the economy. In addition to their general advice on encouraging the uptake of STEM courses, the CBI also call for this to be accompanied by a general ‘greening’ of further and higher education to allow students to “take advantage of opportunities presented by the move to a low-carbon economy”.

The GEES disciplines, by their very nature are core to this challenge, whether through provision via core curricula content for their own students, or through support for, and collaboration with, other disciplines. Education for Sustainable Development, as a theme, goes beyond the realities of climate change to consider the skills needed to produce graduates for the 21st Century, aware of Sustainable Development in its broadest context and able and willing to live and work sustainably.

Until recently, Earth and Environmental Sciences were classified as STEM subjects by HEFCE but Geography was not. However, HEFCE have announced that they have decided to re-classify Geography as part-STEM. This will mean an increase in quality-related research (QR) funding as of 2010-11. It also provides greater recognition for the important work that all of the GEES disciplines have to offer with respect to STEM research. Further information about this re-classification can be found at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/circlets/2010/cl02_10/ (sub-section 26).

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Employability and Employee Learning

Research carried out by the Council for Industry & Higher Education indicates that STEM skills are not only valued in traditional STEM-related sectors, but also in other sectors, such as 'knowledge intensive service businesses' (a rapidly growing sector at present). There is evidence from employers that there is a short-fall in the number of UK candidates with the appropriate STEM-related skills, and that this concern also relates to a lack of well-rounded candidates with technical skills, broader competencies, such as mathematical capability, and practical work experience.

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Support for the STEM Disciplines

STEM Subject Centres

Following on from a series of Fund for the Development of Teaching and Learning (FDTL) projects, a number of STEM Subject Centres have formed the HEA STEM Network: this does not include all STEM Subject Centres however. The following is the full list of STEM-related Subject Centres: