STEM graduates are less likely to have a job after six months

Research shows that those leaving university with STEM degrees are more likely to be unemployed than the average graduate, despite a strong government focus on those subjects.

A report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) revealed that the unemployment rate for engineering and technology graduates was 6%, compared to a 5% national average.

The figures, which come from the Higher Education Statistics Agency and relate to the 2015/16 academic year, also revealed that the unemployment rate was 8.6% for computer science graduates, 6.5% for physical science graduates, and 6.5% for mathematical science graduates.

“The government has continually focused on boosting STEM skills, and encouraging graduates to pursue those subjects at university, but that investment doesn’t appear to be translating into better graduate outcomes,” said Lizzie Crowley, skills adviser at the CIPD.

“Until we address this problem, and do more to identify the core skills that make STEM subjects so valuable, additional investment in STEM risks being wasted.”

The report, called ‘The graduate employment gap: expectations versus reality,’ cites previous research from the CBI which suggests that STEM graduates may lack the ‘soft skills’ that employers are looking for.

“By soft skills, we mean the ability to work in teams and communicate effectively,” Crowley told Professional Engineering. “In many cases you can teach some of these skills, but a lot of them are developed early.”

Peter Finegold, head of education and skills in IMechE’s policy and research team, said the report highlighted a critical need to align students’ expectations with the realities of the job market. “This challenge of aligning employers’ needs with the ambitions of young people would certainly be enhanced by the existence of a robust well-resourced modern careers offering in schools, colleges and universities, and on this basis we look forward to the publication of the government’s long-awaited careers strategy,” he told PE.

Crowley said universities needed to focus on preparing people better for the world of work. “For STEM graduates that means ensuring that practical work experience and placements are actually built into the degree.”

A number of new courses and institutions are springing up that seek to do that, including NMiTE in Hereford, which recently secured £15m in seed funding and is set to open as a technology and engineering university in 2020.

Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.