Earlier this month, The Science Council published a report that examined both the current and predicted workforce across the UK economy as a whole and that highlighted the requirements for future employees in science based occupations.

At the moment there are 5.8 million people employed in science based occupations and these are divided into primary science workers (purely science based) and secondary science workers (science related but science knowledge and skills are need to support other skill sets). This is approximately 20% of the total UK workforce. 60% of the 5.8 million employees are working in Health or Education.

Overall, 25% of employees in science based roles are educated to post-graduate level, but this percentage is higher for workers is education, research and development and consultancy. There are a greater proportion of graduates employed in these areas too.

Areas where non-graduates work in science include manufacturing, energy & environment, and construction & installation. The number of graduates in these areas is still greater than the number of non- graduate employees.

The gender balance is biased towards men, with a 60/40 ratio overall. The ratios are industry specific with more men in areas like manufacturing, construction, the military and ICT, and more women in health, pharmaceuticals and education.

Salaries are not equal across the sectors. The highest paid science workers are found in the public sector and education, but the average science wage is higher than the average wage across the whole economy. This fits with the workers in science having higher educational standards that the broader economy. As a rule, the more advanced you knowledge and skills, the more money you can command.

The future predictions are interesting. Growth areas in the economy are listed as

advanced manufacturing

low carbon economy

digital economy

life science and pharmaceuticals

professional and financial services

engineering & construction

If current employment trends continue, then 7.1 million people will be employed in science based occupations by 2030.

So what exactly do these figures mean? They indicate that jobs in the six areas listed above are set to increase rather than decrease, and that science qualifications will be an advantage. Employment in science sectors or more likely than not to require graduate entry, and that certain sectors require postgraduate qualifications for a long term and successful career. Maybe the next few years are the time to buckle down and get those basic science qualifications. No science qualifications may not seem to be a disadvantage now, but 16 year old students today will only be in their mid thirties in 2030. A good grade in GCSE science can only bode well for the future.