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Returning to STEM
Returning to STEM

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Further reading

Further reading about sector trends in STEM

A good place to get general information about your sector is your professional body. Another source of information about careers for graduates, including sector trends and career pathways is the Prospects website [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .

The annual Skills & Demand in Industry survey from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is based on telephone interviews with over 400 employers of engineering and technology staff drawn from across the UK. The one undertaken in June 2015 identifies ongoing high demand for engineers, with jobs on the increase in many sectors. Nearly two-thirds of employers think skills gaps are a threat to their business.

EEF is an employer’s federation which published the ‘Manufacturing, Britain’s Future’ report in February 2015. It defines a ‘4th Industrial Revolution’, created by digitisation, as a huge opportunity but draws attention to the importance of getting enough of the right (STEM) skills to be able to realise the potential.

A government dashboard summarises important facts and figures on UK growth and sector performance, as well as the government’s growth and industrial policy.

The 2015 edition of an annual survey of the UK technology industry was produced by recruitment company Mortimer Spinks in collaboration with Computer Weekly magazine.

A collaboration between the Tech Partnership, a growing network of employers with a stake in the digital economy and BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, provides rich information about the representation and role of women in IT in the UK and provides international benchmarks.

To learn more about the development of the robotics industry visit Robotics Business Review.

To see what’s going on in the world of synthetic biology, look at the SynBiology website.

Further reading about local and regional trends

The Scottish government provides information about growth sectors in Scotland.

NIDirect provides the same service for Northern Ireland.

Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are a further source of local information. LEPs bring together local government and business to support the local economy. They all have a skills strategy, which you can find online. Major STEM employers and universities are often represented onLEP boards.

The larger Chambers of Commerce are a further source of information about local skills requirements. Look for news and reports on their websites, as well as contact details for local employers.

The Federation of Small Businesses is another doorway into local enterprise.