The new additional analysis comes from the Science Education Tracker, a survey of 7,200 young people in years 7 to 13 of their experiences and attitudes towards STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) education and careers.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Students’ Interest in STEM Careers
The data highlights employment aspirations amongst students in state schools in England and found almost half (47%) of both SEND and non-SEND students are interested in a future career in engineering.
More SEND students favoured a technology and computing career (43%) in contrast to non-SEND students (37%).
The Growing Interest of SEND Students in Technology
Becca Gooch, head of research at EngineeringUK, said, “The data throws up some positive findings, and it's great to see both SEND and non-SEND students as equally interested in a potential future engineering career. It’s also fantastic to see so many SEND students with careers interest in tech where we need a vast talent pool. We need to ensure our future engineering and technology workforce is not only well prepared for future roles but are made aware of opportunities and entry routes into training and employment."
