Exploring the different careers in science University of Leicester - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Exploring the different careers in science

University of Leicester 1st February 2012

Diana Garnham

Chief Executive, The Science Council

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The Science Council

A membership organisation for learned societies and professional bodies across science and its applications that works m to represent this sector to government and others. Currently 37 member bodies with 500,000 individual members Our priorities are to:

• Foster co-operation and collaboration amongst member bodies
• Influence science policy and strategy
• Advance professionalism in science
• Promote enhancement in the level and quality of scientific

education, knowledge and skills in the UK

• Encourage and stimulate the exchange of expertise by developing of

collective approaches to the needs of the economy and of society

Science Council Member Bodies

Association for Clinical Biochemistry Association of Neurophysiological Scientists Association for Science Education British Academy of Audiology BCS/Chartered Institute for IT British Psychological Society Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management Energy Institute Geological Society of London Institute of Biomedical Science Institute of Brewing and Distilling Institute of Clinical Research Institute of Corrosion Institute of Food Science and Technology Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining Institute of Mathematics and its Applications Institute of Measurement and Control Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine Institute of Physics Institute of Professional Soil Scientists Institute of Science and Technology Institution of Chemical Engineers Institution of Environmental Sciences London Mathematical Society Mineralogical Society Nuclear Institute Oil and Colour Chemists’ Association Physiological Society Royal Astronomical Society Royal Meteorological Society Royal Society of Chemistry Royal Statistical Society Society for General Microbiology Society of Biology Society of Cardiological Science and Technology Society of Dyers & Colourists

Professional recognition in science

• Chartered Scientist (CSci) introduced in 2004

– Over 15,000 people registered across 25 professional bodies – Chartered Scientists are at the forefront of professional practice in science – Required to demonstrate professional competence through monitored CPD

• Committed to professional development for those

working in science at all levels

– Introduction of professional recognition at graduate (RSci) level and technician (RSciTech) levels in 2012

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Why professional?

• Professional registers ensure expertise is properly

recognised by employers and the scientific community

• Provides individuals with a clear professional pathway
• Ensures the progressive advancement of standards in

the practice of science to underpin public trust and confidence in the practice and application of science

• Builds a strong, connected and committed science

workforce - crucially important in an innovation economy with high demand for those with science and technical skills at all levels – from technician to research director

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What is science?

Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence

Scientists are people who pursue and apply science – so not just about academic science and not just about post-graduates

Different types of STEM degrees chosen for different reasons?

• Vocational

– Medicine, dentistry, nursing, architecture and where qualification is often a license to practice

• Occupation facing

– Biomedical science, engineering, sports science, forensic science, physics with law, computer science

• Generic or Academic

– Core sciences, mathematics

• Inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary degrees

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Where do STEM graduates go?

• 51% STEM graduates not in STEM employment? Is that

really true? If so, why?

– CRAC research for BIS - STEM Graduates in Non-STEM job research indicates decision to leave STEM is active choice

• Graduates not in graduate jobs? Is this really true?

– Are there issues around the classification of jobs and employment sectors

• STEM graduates all go to Financial Services?
• But demand for STEM graduates and postgraduates

continues (the ‘science mindset)

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Types of scientists

• Career can be as a scientist, in science or

from science

– A scientist in a STEM environment – In science – combine with other skills to influence, support, promote, manage, lead, shape = science plus – From science – using STEM skills in a tertiary

• r other non-STEM environment

Just as not all footballers are the same…

… 10 types of scientist

• Explorer
• Investigator
• Developer/Translational
• Service provider/operational
• Monitor/regulator
• Entrepreneur
• Communicator
• Teacher
• Business/Marketing
• Policy maker

Developing a broader and thematic approach to employment sectors

• Tendency to talk about industry rather than

employers

– Don’t forget non commercial and public sectors (including health, education and regulation)

• Look beyond the global and leading national

brands

– Many of the ‘in’ science jobs are in their supply chains

• Consider small and medium size enterprises

– 58% of STEM graduates are employed in SMEs

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Primary Producers Agriculture + Horticulture Food & Drink Manufacturers Wholesalers Catering

• utlets

Retailers Consumers Processing & engineering Food Sensory Storage and Transportation Product Development Food safety Shelf life testing Nutrition and labelling Quality control Allergens

An over view of the Food Sector

Transportation Maintenance of the chill chain Packaging Storage Cooking + preparation Display (Ambient and chilled) Product handing Animal breeding Pest control Crop storage Soil science Plant breeding Water use

The Current and Future UK Science Workforce

• Research undertaken by TBR for Science Council

and published in September 2011 – based primarily

• n the APS
• New analysis considering science workforce across

the entire economy rather than the traditional approach of employees in traditional STEM industries

• Industry/occupation matrices used to produce new

definition of:

– core, related and non-science sectors – primary, secondary and non-science workers

Workforce Research methodology

Employment Sectors

• Core science sectors - primarily science based in their core

activity.

• Related science sectors - primary activity is not necessarily

science based, but has a strong relationship to science.

• Non science sectors - no science based or related activity.

Workers

• Primary science workers – occupations that are purely science

based requiring the consistent application of scientific knowledge and skills in order to execute the role effectively.

• Secondary science workers – occupations that are science

related and require a mixed application of scientific knowledge and skills alongside other skill sets, which can be of greater importance to executing the role effectively.

• Non-science workers – occupations that are not science based

and have no requirement for science based knowledge or skills.

Workers In the core sector Primary 733,980 Secondary 1,378,490 Non-Science 3,267,710 Total 5,380,180 Workers In the related sector Primary 335,410 Secondary 2,624,170 Non-Science 7,974,400 Total 10,933,980 Workers In the non-science sector Primary 135,170 Secondary 584,150 Non-Science 11,610,100 Total 12,329,420

Science Workforce at a glance

Shape of the UK Science Workforce

• 20% of the workforce is employed in science roles

– 5.8 million people – 1.2m primary science workers, 4.6m secondary science workers

• Primary science occupations make up the largest share of the

workforce in Research & Development.

• Secondary science occupations make up the largest share of

the workforce in the Education (46%), ICT (45%), Health (30%) and Consultancy (25%) sectors.

• The Health and Education sectors employ 60% of the science

workforce and the remaining 40% of the science workforce is distributed across a range of sectors.

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Shape of the UK Science Workforce

• Science workforce is more complicate and disparate

than previously understood

• Only about 130,000 primary and secondary science

workers in R&D

• 72,000 primary science workers in education
• 5.8million science workers in the economy, expected to

rise to 7.1million in 2030

• Regional science employment distribution is very similar

to total economy averages - 37.4% (2.1m) is located in the East, the South East and London.

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Core Science Workforce qualification profile

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100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000

Graduate Postgrad

Workforce Qualifications

• The science workforce roughly equal proportions across

postgraduate, graduates and non-graduate.

• In the science sectors (core and related)

– 34% of the science workforce is non-graduate – 32% are graduate – 26% are postgraduate.

• In Education, R&D and Consultancy 53% of workers are

postgraduate, 39% graduate and 31% non-graduate.

• In comparison with the non science sectors and the economy

as a whole there are significantly more graduates and postgraduates in the core and related science workforce.

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Workforce Gender Balance

• Overall primary workforce 60/40 male/female similar to UK

working population (54/46)

• Some sectors are close to a 50/50 distribution including

pharmaceuticals, education, agriculture

• Balance in some science sectors is extreme – 91% in ICT are

male

• Higher proportion of females in secondary science roles

(44%/56%)

• 720,000 science workers (primary and secondary) in non-

science sectors = extreme differences in gender balance - 73% are male

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Gender in primary science

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0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% UK Population Sector Average Health Public Sector Education Agriculture & Aquaculture Pharmaceuticals Food & Drink Research & Development Professional Organisations Chemicals Consultancy Textiles Metals Energy & Environment Rubber & Plastics ICT Advanced Manufacturing Military Construction & Installation Manufacturing Primary Male Primary Female

Gender in secondary science

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0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% UK Population Sector Average Health Public Sector Education Agriculture & Aquaculture Pharmaceuticals Food & Drink Research & Development Professional Organisations Chemicals Consultancy Textiles Metals Energy & Environment Rubber & Plastics ICT Advanced Manufacturing Military Construction & Installation Manufacturing Secondary Male Secondary Female

Some findings on pay

• The highest paid primary science workers are in the Public

Sector.

• The highest paid secondary science workers are in Education.
• In related science sectors, workers employed in secondary

science roles earn more per hour than primary science workers.

• In ICT, the Military and to a lesser extent the Consultancy

sectors, non-science workers earn more than primary science workers.

• The average science wages are generally higher than the

average wage across the whole economy.

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What makes a job unattractive or unsustainable?

• Long hours (27%)
• Unusual or unsocial hours (25%)
• Living away from home (16%)
• Multiple jobs (15%)
• Excessive travel (12%)
• 47% of engineers expect to have to change their career
• r job in the next 5 years
• 25% want to change their job to achieve a better

life/work balance

Source: Kelly Workforce Index

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As a scientist or in science?

• Global employers recruit graduates globally

– Check how many are recruited for purely technical or science skills

• Primary science workers will be recruited primarily for

technical/science knowledge and skills

– R&D has the highest proportion of people employed for less than five years in role

• Secondary science workers will be recruited for their

STEM plus skills

– The wider the mix of skills, the more choice of job

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Employability in primary and secondary science

• Technical/Science knowledge and skills

– Application of numeracy, management of data

• Science plus - value to employers of the ‘science

mindset’

• Plus employability skills:

– Self management, completer-finisher – Interpersonal skills

• Team-working, Business and Customer awareness, Negotiation

– Problem Solving – Communication and Literacy – Ability to apply and use IT

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