CBI demands action on growing skills vacuum
1 min read
A call for action to make careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) more attractive and easier to access has come from the CBI.
The business organisation is urging the Government to consider financing a cut in tuition fees for some STEM courses, developing new training routes for existing workers, and creating a one-year crossover qualification.
The CBI argues in its report, Engineering Our Future, that front-running British sectors of the future, from the advanced manufacturing and creative industries to the green economy, are facing a skills crunch in key industrial strategy sectors – especially for skilled technicians.
To help solve this shortage the CBI is calling for:
• A possible reduction of fees on some STEM courses to attract more students and the development of one-year crossover courses at 18 for young people to switch back to STEM in preparation for a related degree.
• New collaborative training solutions to progress apprenticeships and retraining to meet the pressing need for skilled technicians.
• Sixth forms, colleges and universities to set and report on 'Davies-style' gender diversity targets to boost women's participation in key subjects like physics and maths.
• Use of UK Commission for Employment and Skills funding in key sectors to help firms retrain older workers in STEM shortage areas.
Katja Hall, CBI chief policy director, said: "Growth and jobs in the future will depend on the UK having a workforce that can exploit new technologies and discoveries. The growing skills vacuum is threatening the recovery, as demand from firms is outstripping supply."
