New UK campaign to boost STEM participation

The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) is supporting a new Government backed UK campaign – called Your Life – to increase the number of students studying science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects by 50 per cent over the next three years, especially women.

The UK currently ranks 50th in the world for maths and science education¹ and fewer than one in ten engineering professionals are women.

The Your Life campaign – which is being led by business and entrepreneurs – has a stated ambition of increasing the number of students studying STEM subjects by 50 per cent over the next three years, and is encouraging business, educators, civil society and government to support a shared vision to: 

• Encourage the vast majority of young people to study mathematics to age 18 by 2020;
• Boost the number of students, especially girls, taking physics and maths A level;
• Double the proportion of engineering and technology degrees that are taken by women to 30 per cent at undergraduate level by 2030;
• Support more women to pursue careers at all levels in the fields of engineering and technology.

Support for the campaign requires signatories to make a public pledge² to engage with young people and increase the number of women in their own organisations. Over 200 organisations have already signed-up including Google, BP, Atkins, BT, Johnson and Johnson, Nestlé, Shell, Sellafield Ltd and IChemE.

IChemE’s chief executive, David Brown, said: “The Your Life campaign will provide another opportunity for all organisations to support UK competitiveness and address some long-standing diversity issues which are in danger of holding back economic growth.

“It’s a campaign we are encouraging more organisations in the chemical and process industries to support and we are pleased that our president, Judith Hackitt CBE, will help to lead on aspects of our pledge to help more female engineers achieve senior positions in the public and private sectors.

“The campaign is very ambitious with some tough targets. Therefore, it is encouraging that IChemE has made good progress in recent years with the proportion of females entering chemical engineering at UK universities at 26 per cent. 

“However, IChemE is committed to improving the proportion of women, as well as other under-represented groups, entering the chemical engineering profession and we give the Your Life campaign our full support.”