We stand at a crossroads. With bold investment in STEM education, we have the potential to lead the world in the scientific industries. Without targeted action, we risk a future where access to dynamic and high-paying careers is determined by postcode rather than potential.
As a former science teacher, I’ve seen the transformative power of education. There is nothing quite like seeing students experience science first-hand: eyes widening in amazement as elephant’s toothpaste erupts in colourful foam, laughter as carbon sugar snakes grow before their eyes, the thrill of holding fire safely in their hands.
These moments aren’t just fun; they are the foundation of real scientific understanding. Hands-on experiments allow students to see, feel, smell, and hear science come alive. They turn abstract concepts into tangible experiences that spark a lifelong love for STEM.
However, I have also seen how a lack of resources and over-burdened teachers can dash that spark.
Part of the reason I stood to be the MP for the city that is home to my former pupils was to help secure the future opportunities they deserve. This British Science Week presents an opportunity to highlight these issues.
At the heart of our manifesto was one cornerstone: a homegrown workforce equipped with the skills to do the jobs of the future and to power the economy of the future. Yet right now, the reality is that we’ve inherited a shrinking pipeline.
The UK’s shortage of STEM workers is already costing our economy £1.5 billion annually. More than 173,000 STEM jobs sit unfilled —an average of ten per business. Almost half (43 per cent) of these are hard to fill due to a lack of skilled applicants.
Meanwhile, only last week we saw that nearly 1 million young people are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
The gap between opportunity and talent is widening
This gap between opportunity and talent is widening. If we want to reverse this trend, compete with our international counterparts and meet the chancellor’s promise to build our own Silicon Valley, then radical policy changes are needed.
This starts upstream: we must invest in our young people now.
Better STEM education could be one of the great equalisers, opening doors for all young people regardless of their background, while driving the economic growth our country desperately needs.
Yet it risks becoming the opposite. Schools serving the communities who could benefit most from high-quality STEM teaching are the very schools that struggle to recruit and retain the teachers they need to make that vision a reality.
Without the right teachers in place, how can we expect students to break cycles of educational inequality or to equip the next generation for success in the industries that will define our future?
Labour has already committed to recruiting 6,500 additional teachers. This is a vital first step—but we must learn from successful models like Teach First to ensure that these teachers are placed in the schools serving the communities that need them most.
Two key policies are essential as a starting point: targeted recruitment incentives to attract teachers in shortage subjects, and additional funding weighted toward schools in the poorest areas.
This two-pronged approach would ensure schools can recruit brilliant teachers and provide the resources they needed to deliver world-class STEM education. And it would target the areas where this can have the greatest impact.
We have already made great strides since entering government, from increasing the early years pupil premium to announcing the youth guarantee to further learning and help to get a job or an apprenticeship.
To build on this momentum and truly break down the barriers to opportunity, we must now focus on what is happening in our schools and how we can give every pupil a chance to secure their future and ours.
Investing in STEM education is not just an education policy; it’s an economic necessity. By ensuring every child, regardless of background, has access to high-quality STEM teaching, we can build an economy that works for everyone.
