More young people taking STEM A Levels is essential to our green future

For students looking to embark on A levels, the subjects they choose to study are a key step in their journey to working in the net zero workforce of the future, as the UK and wider world shifts away from fossil fuels and towards an energy system powered by clean energy sources.

Our Chief Engineer, David Wright , shares his thoughts on why getting more young people to take STEM A Levels is crucial to reaching net zero.

Despite STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects experiencing a slight increase in popularity at A Level over the past decade, the talent pipeline needed for net zero is still not big enough. The UK energy sector needs to recruit 400,000 people between 2020 and 2050 to meet the country’s net zero targets. That equates to a necessary increase in the number of young people taking A levels in physics and maths of 24% and 19% respectively.

Diversity in the STEM talent pool must also increase

Not only do we need a bigger talent pool, we also need it to be more diverse. Currently girls, people from ethnic minorities and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds are underrepresented in STEM. That’s why National Grid is working in partnership with organisations like the social enterprise MyKindaFuture to provide more than 100,000 pupils from underserved communities with STEM training and career inspiration over a five-year period.

The Royal Academy of Engineering’s ‘This is Engineering’ campaign, does a great job of highlighting diverse role models and challenging pre-conceived ideas, but there’s much more work to do across industry and education to change perceptions and promote STEM careers to young people.

STEM students shown to earn over 13% more

Another way that those of us in industry can work to increase the attractiveness of STEM subjects is showing young people that not only can these subjects lead to an exciting and intellectually satisfying career, but a financially rewarding one as well. Previous research commissioned by the Department for Education found that, on average, people who studied two or more STEM subjects at A level earned 13.1% more over the course of their careers. This career earnings uplift for studying STEM subjects at A level is more significant for women, who can see a 23.7 per cent earnings premium over the course of their careers.

Support for STEM teachers is vital

The role of teachers is critical here, but it’s not just STEM industries that are struggling with the talent pipeline – there have also been challenges around the supply of STEM teachers in recent years. The continued provision of teacher grant funding with a focus on net zero and STEM subjects, as well as upskilling the existing teaching workforce through targeted Continual Professional Development (CPD) can help ensure our schools and colleges have the support and resources needed to provide young people with the green skills needed for the future.?

Addressing the barriers to higher STEM uptake

Finally, government also needs to play its part to ensure young people have the skills and knowledge needed to be part of the net zero workforce, through increasing the reach and output of task forces such as the Green Jobs Delivery Group, which brings together stakeholders from industry, government and the education sector.?Yearly data on skills gaps for example would be one way to help identify where focus is needed and the most effective interventions to deliver a future green workforce.

The good news is that research shows young people are highly motivated to pursue purpose-driven careers that can make a difference in achieving net zero. So if the net zero industries and education sector can collaborate more closely to address some of the barriers to higher STEM uptake, we’ll have a lot to look forward to in our future net zero workforce.?

Looking to become part of the net zero workforce? Find out about careers with National Grid