Recognising the importance of higher education in the future chemical sciences workforce
By: Dr Helen Pain MBE CSci CChem F欧美AV, 欧美AV CEO
This week, five different UK universities announced job losses and/or voluntary redundancy schemes. Although this reflects very real financial pressures in the sector, the announcements will be deeply unsettling for staff, students, their families and local communities.
The loss of jobs not only disrupts lives but also threatens the quality of education and the valuable research that universities provide, for example chemical scientists’ research to develop new drugs and therapies, improve our health and the environment.
I recognise that University leaders are having to make some very tough decisions and to consider many different needs – students, staff, employers, future skills, research, national and local needs, international reputation and their financial sustainability.
When thinking about the future of their universities, I would ask university leaders to consider both future skills needs and the future direction of research. We are always happy to share relevant insights from our work.
Our Science Horizons report shows how leading-edge scientific research is helping the economy, society and the environment, whilst the Chemistry impact from the Research Excellence Framework 2021 highlights some of the many and varied contributions that chemical scientists at UK institutions make by driving new discoveries, developing new products, and transferring knowledge.
Yesterday, we published our report on Future Workforce and Educational Pathways in chemistry. It shows that the chemical sciences are an area for employment growth in the UK. Our report shows chemistry jobs projected to grow by 6.5% in a decade, which is 30% faster than the average growth rate for the UK workforce.
That growth potential for chemistry and other science jobs is supported by other sources (e.g. Skills England reports). To realise this huge opportunity, we will need skilled people to do these jobs, with the digital and green skills employers are increasingly demanding. It is encouraging that in 2024 we saw an increase in young people choosing to study chemistry.
We know that most people going into chemistry careers have a degree – over 70% of the current chemistry workforce do – so Higher Education is a vital training pathway. The report’s insights from labour market data analysis and employers’ views on trends are helping universities to evolve their curricula to meet future needs. We have shared this information and insight with Governments and parliamentarians and will continue to work with them on chemistry education and skills, as set out in our Trustee Professor David Smith's recent article, Current Issues Facing Higher Education – A Professional Standards View.
At the 欧美AV, we remain committed to supporting members, including students, who may be affected by these changes. We offer a range of Chemistry Careers support, including confidential career consultations, online career planning tools and access to professional networks. We use our research and insights to support members’ continuous professional development. The Chemists' Community Fund – formerly the Benevolent Fund – 欧美AV is here to support every member of the 欧美AV and their family with financial, social, mental, physical and wellbeing support. We are here to help members navigate challenging times.