STEM Research Now Available to Download!!
 

The research on STEM: Demand and Supply of Skills in the South West is now available to download. The work was carried out by a team of researchers from SLIM, the Skills and Learning Intelligence Module in the South West, and is a useful resource for anybody interested in STEM skills from Primary Level through to Vocational Training and Higher Education.

 

icon Executive Summary

icon Full Report 1 of 4 icon Full Report 2 of 4 icon Full Report 3 of 4 icon Full Report 4 of 4

icon Key Findings and Recomendations

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are of critical importance to the South West region, and are identified as a priority in the South West Regional Skills, Enterprise and Employment Analysis 2007 . This has led to a proposal, developed by the Regional Employment and Skills Partnership (RESP), and funded by South West Regional Development Agency (SW RDA), to establish STEM South West. The aim of this initiative is to develop an evidence-based, holistic approach to facilitate the progression of young people into STEM-related careers and occupations within the South West economy.
 

This Summary Report presents in brief the key findings and recommendations of a research project, commissioned to gain a greater understanding of the trends in the demand for and supply of STEM skills and qualifications in the region. This research, conducted between April 2008 and January 2009, has produced a substantial body of evidence. The complete findings of the research project are presented in a Summary Report and a Key Findings Report (both available in hard copy and online) and a series of four detailed Evidence Reports (available online only):
 

Report 1: Policy Context

Report 2: Employer Demand for STEM Skills

Report 3: Supply of STEM Skills in the South West

Report 4: Stakeholder Views. This research has developed an understanding of:

Regional trends in STEM subject take-up and achievement from Key Stage 2 through to higher level degrees and first graduate occupations
 

Key leakages from the education system - whereby young people, either through choice or low levels of achievement, who study or achieve well at a given stage of their education, do not go on to study STEM subjects at subsequent stages;
 

Thecurrent demand for STEM skills by employers in the region;

Evidence for skills gaps and evidence of unmet demand, particularly as expressed by Sector Skills Councils (SSCs);
 

The future needs of employers for STEM skills;
 

The barriers faced by those in schools, Further Education (FE) and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in delivering STEM qualifications;
 

The practical measures that could be taken to improve take-up and achievement in STEM subjects in the future, drawing on the views of key stakeholders.