1 STEM graduates and their career decision-making Robin Mellors-Bourne HE STEM conference, 29 June 2012

2 Two paradoxes When ‘STEM employers’ report skills shortages at graduate level, why do many STEM graduates enter careers unrelated to their degree? ‘STEM graduates in non-STEM jobs’ (BIS, 2011) Given the above, why are the unemployment rates for recent graduates in Engineering and Computer Science higher than for many other subjects?

Career intentions  Overwhelmingly STEM UGs do want degree- related jobs  ‘STEM jobs’ not really their concept  Similar results from Futuretrack 3 % FY UGs seeking degree-related occupation

Motivations for career direction 4  Largely aspirational  ‘Career’ reasons secondary for most % FY students citing reasons for pursuing job related to degree subject

Development of career thinking  When choosing HE, around half thought course would advance their career in some way  At entry to HE, fewer than 20% had firm career plans - Majority expected STEM course to widen career options (even of Engineering students)  By final year, aspiration for degree-related work has grown somewhat - Minority (30%) have firm career intentions; most still undecided - Fewer than half apply for jobs before graduation  Pragmatic reasons (package, prospects, training, reputation) increase in importance towards and especially after graduation  Far more of the undecided do not pursue STEM jobs and/or drift out - The firmer the career plan at HE entry, or any stage, the more likely to pursue STEM jobs 5

Pragmatic graduate decisions 6 % graduates citing reasons for applying for specific jobs cf. UGs !

‘STEM employment’ 7 Unrelated STEM related STEM core Occupational role STEM SpecialistSTEM GeneralistNon-STEM Employment sector

‘STEM employment’ 8 IT manager in local authority (LA) LA highway engineer LA fitness instructor Royal Navy engineer IT manager for bank Actuary Pharma lab chemist Software engineer Electronics designer Environmental consultant Medical physicist Scientific publisher Museum explainer Science policy adviser Food safety inspector Accountant Investment banker Secondary science teacher Product designer Pharma marketing manager Finance manager for telecom company Logistics firm analyst Retail manager Policy adviser Commercial lawyer Estate agent Social care manager IP/patent lawyer Management consultant HR manager for engineering firm Sport/fitness equipment sales Surveyor Sound engineer Unrelated STEM related STEM core Occupational role STEM SpecialistSTEM GeneralistNon-STEM Employment sector

The influence of work experience 9 % of students with definite intention to pursue degree-related job

STEM work experience  Work placements and internships exist in technical STEM occupations and STEM employers, but most opportunities are not in ‘core’ jobs - better for ‘integrated’ placements (MSci, sandwich courses)  Most student work experience is self-driven and opportunistic; benefits and learning may not be optimal  Current search functionality of vacancy databases not tuned to STEM  These trends reinforce  it is easier to get work experience in non- technical roles and employers (and repeat placements) 10

Summary / implications  Interest/enjoyment and aptitude drive degree choice, not career plans  Undergraduates are mostly aspirational in career decision thinking  The later they choose, the less likely to pursue STEM employment  Many choices made on vague perceptions not direct experience  Work experience is powerful, where relevant and optimised  Need to reinterpret the ‘pipeline’ of STEM graduate skills  Embed career thinking and support earlier during HE study  Increase opportunities to interact with more than one employer - Promote STEM degree-related work experience programmes - Support learning from ‘self-driven’ work experience 11

Unemployment rates DLHE ‘destinations’  Mostly measured in January after graduation…  Fewer than half apply for jobs before graduation  Remember cohort differences  Look beneath headlines… 12

Unemployment rates DLHE ‘destinations’  Mostly measured in January after graduation…  Fewer than half apply for jobs before graduation  Remember cohort differences  Look beneath headlines… % all% CS Total Russell Gp st & 2:1 in Russell Gp

Sources STEM graduates in non-STEM jobs CRAC, published by Dept for Business, Innovation & Skills, 2011 (BIS :Research paper 30) Work experience for STEM students and graduates CRAC, published by Science Council & BIS, 2011 Futuretrack project reports IER/Warwick, for HECSU