Resistance to IT education will hinder green energy development

Centrica warns that the UK's IT workforce will not be equipped to deal with green energy development

Widespread resistance to science and technology-related careers among A-level students and undergraduates is in danger of thwarting the UK’s attempts to embrace low-carbon technology, energy giant Centrica has warned.

The UK’s biggest domestic energy supplier has joined forces with employers’ federation the CBI to warn of an impending skills crunch of candidates coming into the energy industry to keep the lights on in the next decade.

While policy makers have focused on getting the right energy infrastructure and investment incentives to build the power generation that the UK will need to meet its energy needs, less immediate attention has been given to who will operate them.

A new survey of 4,000 A-level and undergraduate students and parents commissioned by Centrica found that while young people say that moving to a low-carbon future is either very or extremely important, more than half say they would not consider a career in science, technology or energy.

The survey, conducted by research company OnePoll, found that one in four parents would actively discourage their offspring from following a career in the science, technology or energy sectors – the most common reasons cited were a lack of knowledge of career opportunities in the sector, not being "a suitable line of work for women", or a perception that there were "too few jobs in the sector".

Electricity and gas market regulator Ofgem estimates that £200bn of investment in energy infrastructure will be needed between now and 2020 in the UK.

Meanwhile, the Department of Energy and Climate Change estimates that if the UK does not act swiftly to replace coal-fired and old nuclear power stations with new nuclear and major renewable projects such as offshore wind farms, energy demand could outstrip supply as soon as 2017.

Science, engineering and technology jobs continue to be plagued by stereotypes, making them less attractive than what are perceived as more glamorous jobs in media and entertainment. Myths also continue to exist about poor earnings prospects in such jobs.