Inspiring the next generation of STEM workers

Andrew Croydon, ABPI Director of Skills & Education Policy and Examinations explains why inspiring children in STEM, and supporting informed careers decisions, is vital for supporting more young people into science based jobs like those in the pharmaceutical industry.

The term STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and can be used to describe a whole wealth of jobs and industries that are seen to be of significant importance to the UK economy. Typically, STEM industries face some difficulties in recruiting people with STEM skills – which can in part be attributed to a lack of quality career guidance.

How do we inspire the next generation in STEM?

For some, making decisions on which education route to take can start as early as primary school. This is why it is so important to support teachers of all age groups with high-quality classroom resources, alongside content that can help them give students informed career advice at each stage of their education.

Contrary to popular belief, the skills required in the pharmaceutical industry are not limited to the classic science subjects like biology and chemistry, or even maths and engineering. In fact, the industry needs people with both STEM and non-STEM skills. For this reason, it is important people don’t feel limited in their career choices based on the subjects they choose to study in their earlier years.

How does the ABPI contribute to the UK skills environment?

Working with our members, we regularly conduct analyses on where the skills gaps lie within the industry, and how the ABPI is supporting student learning to address them.

More and more pharmaceutical companies are looking for people with a wide range of skills from leadership to engineering – communications to project management, something we recently spoke about at the House of Lords inquiry into people and skills in STEM in the UK.

By working with Government, we help develop policy solutions that support skills needs and create a sufficiently skilled workforce which ultimately aids the Government’s mission to become a science and technology superpower.