Teach First research reveals more on the personal motivations and career aspirations of STEM Graduates
Findings will signpost areas for further investigation and help shape STEM recruitment strategy
01 July 2011
Press Release
Independent charity Teach First has joined forces with some of the country’s leading science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) organisations and trendence, Europe’s leading research institute specialising in student perception surveys, to undertake a study into the motivations and aspirations of STEM graduates.
A STEM Advisory Board of leading STEM related organisations including: The Gatsby Charitable Foundation; The Institution of Engineering and Technology; The Institute of Physics; The Ogden Trust; The Royal Society and The Wellcome Trust, came together to investigate what motivates and drives STEM graduates.
The study was prompted by concerns about the low numbers of STEM graduates progressing into strategically important areas of the UK workforce. A recent survey by the CBI and Education Development International PLC found that 52% of employers are concerned that they will not fill posts that require graduate or higher level STEM qualifications within the next three years.
2011 Education and Skills Survey, CBI and Education Development International plc
The STEM challenge to industry is mirrored in schools where there is an acute shortage of effective STEM teachers in crucial areas. The lack of inspirational STEM role models may affect pupils’ perceptions of the subjects and discourage them from pursuing STEM subjects at university. The UK’s compulsory education performance level rankings in science and maths stands at 16 and 28 out of 65 OECD Countries surveyed. This is despite the UK’s per capita spending on compulsory education being the eighth highest of all OECD countries.*
2 2010 What Students know and can do, PISA
The key findings of the research were that:
• Motivations – ‘Personal satisfaction and fulfillment’ was the most important characteristic influencing STEM graduates’ choice of their first job
• Influencers -74% of the STEM respondents stated that the opinions of friends/family/lecturers affect their career choices
• Competencies - STEM graduates are least confident in the competency areas of: leadership and self evaluation. Confidence levels decrease significantly across all competencies in a high pressure situation such as a job interview. Graduates cited ‘extra-curricular activities’ as the most influential factor outside of their degree in developing their competencies
• Experiences – Lack of experience is the main barrier graduates’ perceive will prevent them from successfully gaining a job in their chosen career sector, both for those considering teaching and those considering alternative careers
The study findings, which will be shared with the STEM community, could aid the development of more detailed research into specific areas of interest. They will also inform new, more focused thinking on how best to engage with STEM graduates and encourage them to pursue STEM related professions, including teaching.
trendence delivered two sets of data; the first piece of research drawn from the annual UK Graduate Barometer Survey of 15,185 students from 96 universities, and a smaller bespoke survey conducted specifically for Teach First and the STEM Advisory Board across a select target group of 315 STEM students. This smaller bespoke element of the research focused on 21 employability based questions.
The STEM target graduates who took part in the Graduate Barometer research rated Teach First as their number one public sector employer. Teach First was also rated as the 3rd most attractive employer across all sectors when all graduates were asked which organisation they would most like to work for.
Long term Teach First supporter, The Credit Suisse EMEA Foundation, will draw on the study findings to help shape its support for Teach First’s work to recruit more STEM teachers in the coming years, to reach 50% of the Teach First cohort by 2014.
Teach First’s Director of Graduate Recruitment, James Darley said: “We are pleased to see Teach First increasing in popularity among graduates, however, demand for STEM teachers from schools in challenging circumstances still significantly outstrips supply. This research was designed to provide us with a baseline understanding of the scale of the challenge we face to make teaching the number one career choice for STEM graduates.
“Insights from this study have allowed Teach First to respond to the challenges highlighted around competencies and experiences by championing student involvement in extra-curricular activities. We are also launching an online community ‘Teach First Connect’ to promote work experience opportunities to potential applicants.
“The study findings have provided the STEM community with new insights into the aspirations and motivations of STEM graduates and with further research have the potential to shape future strategy.”
Gareth James, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology said: “We see an insufficient number of young people with good qualifications, experience and skills entering the engineering and technology sectors, which are vital for the economic success of the UK.
“Looking across the next decade engineering is facing a potential massive skills shortfall. To address this, the STEM community needs to ensure we properly equip those choosing to study the STEM subjects and to encourage more to study them in the first place. To make this happen it is imperative that we get more inspirational science, maths and design and technology teachers to bring these subjects alive for their students.”
Jenni French, from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation said: “Gatsby is delighted to be working with Teach First to address the shortage of science and in particular physics teachers. We hope that this research will help Teach First and others to focus their recruitment strategy”
Chris Shepherd, from the Institute of Physics said: "There are many interesting aspects to the research, which have underlined our existing concerns. We welcome the study."
ENDS
Notes To Editors
For media enquiries please contact Garfield Myrie in the Teach First press office on: 0203 117 2378 or 07866 436 014. Email: gmyrie@teachfirst.org.uk or Hannah McCullagh on 0203 117 2469 or 07739 147 841 Email: hmccullagh@teachfirst.org.uk
About Teach First
Teach First is an independent charity working to break the link between low family income and poor educational attainment which is greater in the UK than in almost any other developed country. The scale of change needed is so great that it requires a movement of leaders to make a difference at a pupil, school and system level. Teach First is working towards achieving its mission by enabling its participants and ambassadors in the classroom to raise the achievement, aspiration, and access to opportunity of children from low socio-economic backgrounds, whilst developing a network of leaders with a life-long commitment to ending inequality in education from both inside and outside the classroom.
Since launching in 2002, Teach First has recruited and trained increasing numbers of participants –more than 770 new participants will begin their teacher training in June – and is working to place 1140 graduates per year by 2013.
Teach First operates in six regions across England: London, West Midlands, East Midlands, Yorkshire & the Humber, North West or the North East.
The charity has expanded to work in the primary sector with the first cohort of Teach First primary teachers entering classrooms in September in London, the East and West Midlands, the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber.
Teach First is raising the quality and profile of the teaching profession and has made teaching in a challenging school one of the most prestigious options for top graduates. In 2010, Teach First was ranked 7th in the coveted league of Times Top 100 Graduate Employers. Interest in the programme continues to grow amongst top graduates, with the number of applicants rising from 3,000 in 2009 to over 5,000 in 2011.
Teach First primary schools must have more than 50% of their pupils living in the lowest 30% of the IDACI*, prioritising those schools with higher levels of deprivation.
Teach First secondary schools must have one of the following:
• A first criterion based on the IDACI - Teach First works in schools that have more than 50% of their pupils living in the lowest 30% of the IDACI, prioritising those schools with higher levels of deprivation;
• A second criterion based on attainment - Teach First prioritises schools with low attainment in regards to the 5+ A*-C (English & Maths) GCSE measure. Teach First works in schools whose results fall below the lowest 30% of the national distribution;
• Teach First also works in schools that have a Challenge status: either National Challenge or City Challenge.
*Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.
Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/TeachFirst
About trendence
trendence is Europe’s leading research institute specialising in employer branding and student perception surveys across 24 countries. Every year more than 530,000 students and young professionals from all over the world take part in the trendence Graduate Barometer studies on their career ambitions and employers of choice. These study results are an invaluable support to organisations’ HR teams: by providing authoritative representative information on the attitudes, motivators and expectations of their potential employees, they inform crucial decisions on graduate recruitment and communications strategies.
trendence is part of Group GTI, the world’s largest careers publisher.
For further information on the trendence UK Graduate Barometer please contact Jo Coppock by email on jo-anne.coppock@groupgti.com
About the Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust’s breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests.
www.wellcome.ac.uk
