Originally published on britishjournal.uk
There’s a lot of talk about STEM education and how important it is to the future of schooling in the UK. As Fahim Imam-Sadeque explains, STEM education is a clear focus of education at all levels in the UK, and for a good reason.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The term is used to describe subjects that focus on those disciplines. In most cases, these academic tracks are meant to train students to become future engineers, scientists, and other professionals in those fields.
One of the biggest reasons STEM education is stressed in the UK and elsewhere is that the skills taught in these disciplines are in increasing demand worldwide in many industries.
Here are some of the other main reasons why STEM education is essential in the UK.
It’s Hands-On
STEM education focuses on hands-on learning. Students don’t just learn mathematics and science from textbooks and videos. Instead, they see STEM fields in action right before their eyes to get a more immersive educational experience.
When students are provided with this immersive experience, they can grasp concepts better and use them in the real world. The fantastic thing is that simple toys can show children concepts such as force and mechanical advantage.
The fact that STEM education can be so fun is one reason why it’s so successful.
It Teaches Problem Solving
A skill that nearly any job requires is the ability to solve problems. Yet, this is not something that most disciplines in traditional schooling will ever teach.
STEM education addresses this head-on. It helps students become more analytically-minded, which will help them break down a problem from all angles to solve it.
Even as children learn basic algebra concepts through STEM education, they are learning how to solve problems. They can then take that into real-world experiences, such as solving an issue at the office or even cooking more efficiently at home.
Jobs Are in High Demand
Jobs that require the skills taught through STEM education are in high demand today, and they are going to be increasingly so in the coming years. For example, one study found that there will be more than 140,000 new jobs needed in fields such as technology, engineering, research, and science over the next two years.
In addition, these careers are likely to increase in demand twice as much as careers in other fields. Part of this is the increase in digital innovation and infrastructure investments being made in the UK.
At the same time, the UK has a significant shortfall in the number of people who are projected to graduate with a STEM degree. One study predicts there to be a shortfall of 40% in engineering alone.
STEM education is vital to the UK because companies require these jobs, and there aren’t enough people with the requisite skills to fill them.
Jobs Provide Sustainable Solutions
Fahim Imam-Sadeque explains that STEM jobs don’t just accomplish a task for a company. They help to provide global solutions to significant problems we all face.
A current real-life example is a COVID-19 pandemic. The global research effort put behind vaccines was massive, and so was the ensuing manufacturing and distribution effort.
None of that would have been possible without STEM jobs. It’s not an understatement to say that STEM education can profoundly affect the health and wellness of people worldwide and the future quality of life we all can have.
About Fahim Imam-Sadeque
Fahim Imam-Sadeque is a business development professional with proven experience in the asset management industry. He has a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science from the City University of London and is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries. Fahim’s top skills include asset management, hedge funds, investment management, sales, and consultant & client relationship management.