Engineering firm raises skills shortage concern as it publishes analysis on lack of A-level STEM students

Female school students

There are still not enough students taking science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects at A-level and GCSE, Aecom has warned.

The engineering giant 鈥� which employs over 7,000 people in the UK 鈥� has published new analysis revealing the average annual increase in students taking science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects at A-level 鈥渂arely scratches the surface鈥� of the country鈥檚 shortage of construction professionals.

STEM qualifications set pupils up for a wide range of potential construction careers.

The firm鈥檚 analysis found only a 0.6% annual increase in students taking STEM A-levels over the past four years, rising to 287,983 this year.

Aecom said last month鈥檚 A-level results also showed a 鈥渨orrying鈥� decline in student numbers across most STEM subjects on the previous year, including in biology, chemistry, information and communications technology, mathematics and physics. When it came to GCSEs, there was a 1.5% rise in pupils taking STEM subjects, but Aecom said this too 鈥渇alls far short of what the UK needs to remain globally competitive鈥�.

Richard Robinson, Aecom鈥檚 chief executive for civil infrastructure in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa, urged the government to launch an 鈥淥lympic-style push鈥� to drive up STEM subject take-up.

He said: 鈥淭he challenge is not insurmountable. Look at where Team GB stood at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta: in 36th place with just one gold medal.

鈥淭he UK needs to do for STEM education what it did for sport, and accelerate to Rio 2016 levels of achievement.鈥�

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