Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Latest NewsEconomics, government & businessEducation - further and higherRecruitment & retentionSkills shortages

CBI calls for twice as many science and engineering students to beat future skills shortage

by Greg Pitcher 13 Mar 2007
by Greg Pitcher 13 Mar 2007

The UK will have a shortage of scientists and engineers unless it doubles the proportion of graduates doing these subjects by 2014, business leaders warned today.

Employers’ group the CBI said the predicted growth of jobs in these subjects was on course to outstrip the supply of qualified employees.

It warned that jobs would go overseas unless the share of people leaving university with degrees in science, engineering and technology degrees rose from 12% to 25%.

On the first day of National Science Week, John Cridland, CBI deputy director-general, said: “Britain has a world-class science base, and many world-beating companies, but we must build on these strengths, not allow them to wither on the vine.

“Our future success will depend on our ability to compete not only with our traditional international rivals but new ones too, particularly India and China.”

The CBI has identified four weaknesses that are holding back the flow of students into university science courses:

  • Poor science laboratories in schools
  • A lack of teachers with specialist knowledge to teach GCSE and A-level
  • A stripped-down curriculum which does not devote sufficient time to science
  • Poor careers advice.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

About 45,000 graduates emerge from UK universities with a degree in science, engineering or technology each year.

The CBI has calculated that this needs to jump to 97,000 a year just to fill new positions.

CBI
Greg Pitcher

previous post
Construction union UCATT slams low pay for ageing craftsmen working in prisons
next post
CIPD appraisal toolkit aims to make performance reviews more useful

You may also like

Third of firms plan more job cuts after...

17 Jun 2025

One in four young workers rate mental health...

17 Jun 2025

Lack of role models a ‘barrier’ for people...

17 Jun 2025

WFH employee who falsified timesheets loses unfair dismissal...

16 Jun 2025

Sleeping security officer wins £20k for unfair dismissal

16 Jun 2025

HR and employment leaders feature in King’s birthday...

16 Jun 2025

Pride 2025: why corporate allyship still matters

16 Jun 2025

Menopause claims triple in two years, tribunal figures...

16 Jun 2025

Personnel Today Awards 2025: One week to final...

16 Jun 2025

The employer strikes back: the rise of ‘quiet...

13 Jun 2025

  • Preparing for a new era of workforce planning (webinar) WEBINAR | Employers now face...Read more
  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+