Three mistakes being made in the fight to boost STEM talent - Viewpoint - careers advice blog Viewpoint careers advice blog

Three mistakes being made in the fight to boost STEM talent - Viewpoint - careers advice blog Science, technology, engineering and mathematics-reliant industries continue to struggle against severe skills shortages. We look at some of the pitfalls to avoid: 1. Businesses are failing to engage parents Allan Cook, a chartered engineer and Chairman of engineering and project management consultancy W S Atkins, says it’s crucial to engage young people in STEM-related learning well before they have to start making choices about subjects for school qualifications such as GCSEs. “Even secondary school is too late since they are already partially being guided towards other subjects,” he says. “That may be because their parents do not fully understand modern engineering or due to the lack of informed careers advice [on offer]. The shortage of maths and science teachers in education is also a challenge. “Children’s passion for engineering needs to be inspired at around eight or nine years old. We need to highlight how engineering has modernised and is now much more about software, artificial intelligence and systems engineering.” 2. Schools must teach the core skills needed earlier Caroline Bosch, HR Director, Pacific, at technology and manufacturing multinational Honeywell, notes that the impact of the shortage of STEM talent could be acutely felt at national level, if it is not addressed. “This is a serious issue for Australia. The contribution of industries built upon STEM skills is important for economic growth and in years to come, if it doesn’t improve, Australia could become less competitive. The risk is becoming a nation of buyers and consumers instead of innovators and inventors,” she says. Bosch agrees with Cook that part of the cause of low STEM uptake is that school children are not being drawn into the subjects early enough. “There’s no reason why school children shouldn’t start coding, computer skills and robotics at five years old, when they begin school. Coding needs to be prioritised earlier, just like reading and writing. Currently, that learning is not being introduced extensively until the age of 11 or 12, but that is too late according to some articles and research relating to this area. By the age of 15, a student selects the subjects that ultimately determine their initial further education, and possibly their career path,” she adds. 3. The strategy is too short-sighted Cook warns that although tackling current shortages is imperative, businesses must look to the future too. “There is no doubt that we should be making faster progress, but this is a problem that has been created over decades. We need to adopt a longer-term approach to changing attitudes. It absolutely starts with education at an early age so youngsters can overcome barriers such as feeling these subjects are too difficult for them, or that it’s an outdated industry. There needs to be a continued effort to keep building momentum.” If you enjoyed the above blog  then you might also appreciate these other articles, which also  originally appeared in  previous issues of the  Hays Journal: Making a breakthrough A complex relationship The fruits of knowledge Training at the top Why talented Chinese graduates are aiming high in Dubai Establishing an effective middle management tier Managing external resources Four pillars of people View the Hays Journal online or request a printed copy from haysjournal@hays.com