Introduction to the Action Plan
Delivering the DfE’s Vision for a 10x Economy – an economy that is 10x more innovative, 10x more inclusive, 10x more sustainable – will require transformation in our skills system. It will mean working cohesively across our whole education system to address skills imbalances and drive increased participation in the In Demand STEM subjects that will underpin our economic success. This Action Plan sets out our response to this challenge.
Addressing the under-representation of women in STEM is critical to achieving our ambition. We must fix the significant and persistent shortfall in STEM skills that exists currently and must increase the skills pipeline to ensure that future demand for STEM skills is met. Encouraging more women into In Demand STEM subjects – and developing the skills pipeline to support them – is essential to achieving this.
This is not a straightforward task. The number of girls pursuing STEM to the point of employment has not changed since 2008, despite the significant efforts of government, business and schools to encourage them to do so. If the next decade continues as the last did, the number of girls pursuing STEM to the point of employment in Northern Ireland will remain at 21% of the STEM workforce and the gap with the rest of the UK will grow ever wider.
The decline in girls participating in Core STEM between the ages of 15-18 is around 65% compared to just 6% of boys (source: Matrix Women in STEM report 2018)
What we plan to do
This Action Plan sets out our response to this challenge. There are four strands of activity:
Our approach
Our approach is informed by – and contributes to – the 10 cross cutting principles set out in the DfE’s Vision for a 10x Economy and the commitments in Skills for a 10x Economy.
A 10X Economy is a transformational mind-set centred on what can be achieved with the right levels of ambition. The concept embraces innovation to deliver a ten times better economy with benefits for all our people
‘Skills for a 10x Economy’ sets a strategic framework for the development of our skills system to 2030. The Strategy has been developed over several years and is based on a substantial programme of research and engagement to deliver an evidence-based, stakeholder-informed Strategy.
Technologies, clusters and In Demand STEM
Our approach to increasing women in STEM is informed by this thinking.
While the overarching purpose remains to increase the number of women in STEM overall, we will increasingly look to ensure that the enabling technologies and priority clusters set out in the DfE’s Vision for a 10x Economy are fed by the pipeline of female talent. This is the definition of ‘In Demand STEM’.
Principles for action
We will:
Engage partner organisations across Northern Ireland to ensure we take action together.
Work with partner organisations across Northern Ireland to review current support activities and identify how to accelerate change.
Deepen our understanding of when the different cultural and social factors that influence girls’ choices begin to shape their decision to stop pursuing STEM.
Establish dialogue with various parties including employers and employees to understand what drives institutional culture and what needs to change to support women in the workplace.
Share experience with governments around the world to learn about causes of women’s under representation in STEM and to develop effective policy tools.
Find out more about the work we are doing to deliver the Action Plan
Read our latest research
Influencing STEM choices
This report is our review of current and recent research into the influences on girls from 0-5 and through the transition into primary school that shapes their attitudes to and interest in STEM subjects.
Supporting Girls’ and Women’s STEM Choices
This policy insights paper sets out the findings from these two pieces of research and identifies the key lessons and policy recommendations to tackle under-representation and to increase the number of women in the In Demand STEM workforce.
Lessons from Experience
This report presents our review of the known challenges faced by other economies seeking to increase the number of women in STEM.
Women in STEM Action Plan
The main objective of this plan is to show how addressing the underrepresentation of women in “In Demand STEM Skills” – those science and technology skills which underpin the Vision for a 10x Economy – is critical to achieving the DfE's overall ambition.
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