CBI recommends bursary to close skills gap

The UK needs 2.4 million science and technology graduates by 2014 to stay globally competitive

Science, technology, engineering and maths graduates needed if the UK is to remain globally competitive

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is urging the government to award student bursaries to reverse declining numbers in science, technology and engineering (STEM).

The business organisation proposes an annual £1,000 stipend as part of a wider plan to double the proportion of students choosing STEM subjects.

The plan would cost around £200m per year, but it is an investment worth making because without an increase in science students the UK will fail to compete in a global knowledge economy, says the CBI.

The more time passes, the worse the problem is becoming, said CBI director general Richard Lambert.

‘Some employers are already finding it difficult to get the right talent, and the problem is set to get worse,’ said Lambert.

‘The UK cannot compete with the developing world on low-skilled jobs, so to thrive in the global market we must excel in the higher-skilled roles that demand expertise and innovation,’ he said.

The stipend proposal is part of a five point action plan to increase the number of students taking two or more A-level STEM sujects by 25 per cent, and double the percentage of undergraduate entrants from its current level of 13 per cent.

If the targets are met the UK will have the 2.4 million STEM-qualified candidates the economy will need by 2014, says the CBI.