subject: Science And Technology Most Important Subjects, Employers Say [print this page] It seems that a large proportion of employers - around 50 per cent - are finding it increasingly difficult to find suitable candidates for jobs which require skills in science, technology, engineering and maths, according to a survey for the Confederation of British Industry and the vocational qualifications body EDI.
There are fears amongst many employers that this problem will only get worse in the years to come unless action is taken now by sixth form colleges across the country. As London is where many of the best colleges are found, surely it will be here that these efforts to tackle skill shortages begin.
CBI director general Richard Lambert told the Guardian newspaper that "as we move further into recovery and businesses plan for growth, the demand for people with high-quality skills and qualifications will intensify."
"In the future, people with qualifications in science and maths will be particularly sought after, and firms say it is already hard to find people with the right technical or engineering skills. The new government must make encouraging more young people to study science-related subjects a top priority."
The CBI survey found that 42 percent of employers felt that the sciences should be available as separate subjects at GCSE, and two thirds believed that the government should be doing more to promote stem subjects at A level. Around half of employers also wanted protected funding for these important subjects.
It has also been found that, just below graduate lawyers and managers, those who have completed degrees in sciences and engineering can enjoy the highest salaries for entry level jobs.
Overall, the A level subjects decided upon as most useful by employers were business studies, maths, English, chemistry and physics. They overwhelmingly agreed that London students should be confident that they have the skills that they need to succeed in the workplace.
