INVEST-STEM: Investigating STEM Readiness, Inclusion, and Economic Returns

STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is central to the UK's position as a science powerhouse. It contributes to innovation and economic growth and provides critical skills for society. Ensuring a continuous flow of diverse talent from schools to post-18 STEM education and into careers is paramount. Instead, most STEM graduates never work in high-skill STEM jobs. This project spearheads the pursuit of inclusive pathways to high-skill STEM careers via university through a rigorous examination of the LEO database.

Despite significant investment in various initiatives, progress in widening access to STEM education and professions to underrepresented groups, including women, some ethnic minorities, and low-income backgrounds, remains mixed. Inclusion gaps in STEM careers accumulate through 'leaks' at each transition phase (school, university, career).

At its core, this undertaking is about understanding who ends up in STEM jobs in their early career. This requires assessing inclusive pathways towards STEM careers and reviewing the economic returns different groups can expect when pursuing STEM degrees. To meet these objectives, the project will ask and answer:

Who is 'ready' for STEM university studies?
Who chooses and completes STEM degrees?
Who ends up in STEM industries upon graduation?
What are the economic returns related to an undergraduate STEM degree in early career?
In doing so, the project seeks to identify how the propensity to leave STEM pathways varies between individuals from diverse backgrounds at each juncture from school to university to work and how the economic incentives hold up to remain in STEM.

The potential benefits are substantial. Findings can inform targeted policy interventions to bolster inclusive STEM education and careers. They can empower education institutions to develop strategies for successful STEM engagement and retention. Finally, they broaden our understanding of career pathways and provide guidance for those considering alternative routes.

Deliverables encompass policy briefs, academic discussion papers, engagement events with stakeholders and the funder promising impactful insights for shaping inclusive STEM pathways.

In essence, this project aims to support inclusive and equitable opportunities to pursue STEM. By uncovering the nuances of STEM trajectories, it seeks to unlock talent that can contribute to innovation and the UK's long-term economic prosperity.