The independent national survey, released by British Gas owner Centrica, found that nine in 10 students are influenced by their teachers when choosing what to do after leaving school. Yet nearly a third (31%) of teachers said they do not feel they are knowledgeable enough about the different options available to students.
27% of teachers said they are not knowledgeable enough about careers within science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) while 23% are not confident in their understanding of careers in STEM. As a result, 33% of students feel under-informed about STEM careers, the research found.
A gender gap around the way STEM careers are perceived was also highlighted in the study. Nearly a third (29%) of male teachers said they believe that STEM careers are more for boys than girls, compared with 1% of female teachers who feel the same way.
This gender gap also exists among students, with 27% of girls saying that STEM careers are not for them, compared with 14% of boys.
The route into a STEM career was also seen as a challenge, with two-thirds (66%) of students believing it is difficult to get into and requiring high academic achievement. The majority of teachers also believe this to be the case, despite the routes offered into STEM careers through apprenticeships.
Teachers surveyed believe businesses should be doing more to help close the knowledge gap. More than two-thirds of teachers would like more information, training and guidance from businesses about STEM careers and half specifically requested that businesses come into schools to give career talks.
British Gas industry development director Catherine O’Kelly said: “There’s a clear role and need for business to provide more support so that both teachers and students have a better understanding of the exciting options that are available through STEM careers.”
Students and teachers having a greater knowledge of STEM careers, and where these could lead, could prove invaluable for the print industry – many of the skills acquired from these careers are both transferable and in high demand.
Sidney Bobb, chair of the British Association for Print & Communication (BAPC), said he expects things to change over time, particularly regarding the gender gap around STEM and related careers.
“There is a lot of effort going into addressing [gender imbalance]. The sexual difference in terms of employment is actually changing and you can see it.
“Teachers are older than their pupils and they have their own inbuilt blind spots but that will change as more of the modern society get their qualifications in order to teach.
“This is about changing society and these things take time – it may not be happening fast enough but it is happening.”
