What are STEM Subjects?

What are STEM Subjects?

STEM is an acronym that stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The importance of STEM subjects is fast becoming one of the most talked about topics in the world of education. STEM is the most widely used acronym for subjects under this umbrella, but other acronyms you may hear in the same context include STEAM, STREAM, and METALs. Each of these acronyms refers to the same group of core subjects.  But what are STEM subjects? Why are they so important? And what careers can STEM subjects lead to? Here’s everything you need to know:

What are STEM Subjects?

When you are studying, whether in school, college or university, the number of subjects that fall under the STEM umbrella is fairly extensive. They include:

  • Traditional science subjects such as biology, chemistry and physics
  • Design and technology
  • Maths, further maths and statistics
  • Information and communications technology (also referred to as IT or ITC) and computer science
  • Economics
  • Geography

There are many great reasons to study STEM subjects at every level. Firstly, STEM subjects teach you important transferable skills that you will need for life success. Skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and the ability to work as a team can all be derived from STEM subjects. Whilst these are all vital skills if you wish to go on to study science or technology, they can also be applied to almost any profession, making them an incredibly valuable skill set. For this reason, employers highly value the transferable skills acquired through STEM studies and having a firm basis in STEM learning will open a wider field of job opportunities to you. Don’t worry: if you’re passionate about the arts, STEM learning won’t restrict you to working solely within a STEM field. Because of the transferable skills we have outlined above, studying a STEM subject actually makes you an ideal candidate for roles outside of STEM.

STEM skills are now taught in the UK from a very early age. Within most classrooms, particularly at primary school level, STEM is a hands-on learning style and students will engage in project-based learning. Projects and activities conducted by these students in these environments usually involve modern technology for a multitude of reasons: firstly, to accentuate the practical applications of STEM science in the near future, and secondly because young children tend to be particularly engaged by modern technology. The aim of STEM education at this stage is to prevent STEM learning in a real-world context that helps students to realise that there is a connection between the classroom and the world around them. The earlier children can be engaged in STEM the better: if you can engage them at primary school then keeping them engaged at secondary school and encouraging them to consider STEM subjects at A-level and even into further education is much easier. A lifelong love of learning, no matter what the subject, is fostered in early childhood.

STEM education in primary schools

What Careers can STEM Subjects Lead to?

When you study medicine, you know that this will lead to a career as a doctor. When you study journalism, you do this with the intention of pursuing a career as a journalist. The career path can seem a little more convoluted when you study a STEM subject, but there is a huge and exciting list of careers that STEM studies can lead to. In fact, STEM graduates find that they have access to more job opportunities than those who study other subjects: this is in part due to the rate at which science and technology are developing, and our increasing global reliance on these subjects. EDF Energy confirmed this in the study that they commissioned that was entitled Jobs of the Future. Within this study, they forecast that the growth of STEM-related jobs would be double that of any other profession between 2016 and 2023.

Rather than hampering this growth, the covid pandemic actually highlighted how important science and technology are (we wouldn’t have treatments for COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccinations without them) and this also generated new job opportunities within STEM subjects. It is expected that this will continue as the impact of the pandemic declines.

Whether you want to be a roller coaster engineer, or help to pioneer new vaccines, you can’t follow these dreams without a STEM degree. There are too many careers that STEM subjects can lead to for us to list, but some common examples include:

  • Biomedical Scientist
  • Civil Engineer
  • Data Analyst
  • Dentist
  • Mathematician
  • Physician
  • Psychologist
  • Radiologist
  • Software Developer

As well as having a job that you enjoy and that uses your STEM skills and knowledge, it’s also important to note that those who study STEM subjects tend to have greater earning potential than those who don’t. Some examples of average salaries you could earn include:

  • Science and technology (£28,325)
  • Computing and IT (£28,003)
  • Research and analysis (£27,981)
  • Engineering (£27,952)
  • Internet and media (£27,917)

Do STEM Subjects Lead to Higher Earnings?

As we have already clearly outlined above, STEM jobs are growing at a faster rate than non-STEM careers, and workers within STEM industries have higher rates of pay than those in other industries.

Research has found that graduates in STEM-related subjects can earn nearly 20% more than their peers. The average salary for someone working in a STEM is just over £26,000 in the UK. The vast majority of the fastest growing, billion-pound industries in the UK are in STEM arenas. This is a seismic shift, and a new way of thinking and earning for many. The sectors traditionally considered the highest paying for graduates, such as law (£25,893) or finance and accounting (£24,624) have now fallen below the average salaries that are available for software developers and engineers. Those with STEM qualifications are the ones earning big figures thanks to the demand for their skills.  If you’re motivated by money then STEM is a great way to enter a lucrative profession and one that will also offer job stability in the long term.

The uptake in individuals studying STEM subjects at university level is not just because of the increased job security that they offer. No job is ever 100% secure; however, professionals working in STEM fields are less likely to be unemployed than their non-STEM counterparts because of the growing demand for the skills that they possess and because of how transferrable their learnt skills are.

Do You Have to Study at University?

STEM isn’t just something that you study at university. In fact, STEM is a teaching methodology that many educators believe should be introduced at as early an age as possible. At its core, the STEM concept is a lifelong teaching philosophy, and the acronym was introduced by the United States National Science Foundation in 2001 to pull the teaching of all of the STEM subjects together under one united umbrella.

You don’t have to study a STEM subject at university. And actually, it is important to note that even if you study a subject that is considered to be a STEM subject, such as mathematics, that doesn’t mean that you have completed a STEM programme. This is because, whilst each STEM subject is valuable in its own right, the true power of STEM comes from when all four disciplines are integrated and taught using real-world teaching methods that can then be applied to real-world situations. It is for this reason that individuals who study STEM are so highly valued: not just because of the knowledge that they hold but because of their ability to solve real problems with innovative and creative solutions, demonstrate creative and analytical skills and use them both in conjunction, and be efficient and organised in every aspect of their learning.

If you’re interested in STEM subjects and STEM learning, then more doors of opportunity will be open to you if you do choose to study at university level. It’s important to note that to be accepted onto a STEM course at most universities, you will need to demonstrate your knowledge of the STEM concept by studying some of those subjects at A-level. Some of the advantages of studying at university include:

  • The opportunity to become an expert in a subject you love. If you have a passion for a particular STEM subject then greater depth and understanding of that subject can only be a positive
  • Greater earning potential. We have already outlined that those who study STEM subjects have greater earning potential than those who study other subjects, but it’s also important to note that those individuals who attend university tend to earn more than those who do not over their lifetime. On average, graduates earn 35% more than school leavers
  • University broadens your mind and gives you high-level transferable skills. No matter what subject you study, you will learn to think critically and analytically. As well as being common STEM skills these are also highly desirable and transferable skills. The robust research, problem-solving, and thought-processing skills you develop at university will prove useful for every aspect of your life

Attending university is a big commitment; the average undergraduate course lasts for three years, and most students will accumulate student debt during this period, so it’s important to be sure that it’s the right path for you. University is not the right path for everyone, and it shouldn’t be presented as such. But if you want to take your passion for STEM learning further then, for most people, the benefits by far outweigh the negatives.

Women in STEM Subjects

Historically, the study of STEM subjects at university level has been dominated by men. In order to counterbalance this, universities, employers and governments have introduced policies aimed at increasing the proportion of women choosing to study in these areas. This programme is being run in conjunction with other campaigns that are aimed at encouraging more students in general to opt for STEM subjects at university. The most recent figures suggest that just 12% of female university students will graduate with a STEM degree. Of that 12%, just 3% will go on to work in a STEM field. This means that women are dramatically underrepresented within the STEM sector. What’s more, as well as a lack of representation between men and women in the STEM industries, there is also a large pay imbalance between men and women in STEM sectors. This pay gap is smaller in the UK than in other countries, but it is still significant. A recent study by the Royal Academy of Engineering found that women in the field earned on average 11% less than their male counterparts.

This shouldn’t put women off studying STEM subjects. It is a growth sector for women and one that has massive potential. If you have a STEM degree, then a world of possibilities will be open to you. Some of the schemes that have been introduced to encourage more women to engage with STEM subjects include Girls Who Code, Engineer Girl, and Kode with Klossy. Female participation in STEM subjects is also being promoted in schools from a very early age: the earlier children can be excited and engaged with science, technology, engineering and maths, the more likely they are to continue with a lifelong love of STEM learning. If you do decide to go on and study a STEM subject at university then you will find that there are a huge number of internships and other work placements made available specifically for young women. This means that you might find it easier to secure work after your degree, as a result of this existing gender bias.

Many STEM professions that exist now simply did not exist ten years ago, meaning that now is the perfect time to get in at the ground level and make a real difference in an exciting and emerging field. It’s the perfect time to make your mark on an industry that may not yet be fully established. Studying STEM subjects at any level, but particularly within higher education, will provide you with an abundance of job opportunities as well as increased pay potential and put you at the cutting edge of innovation. It’s an exciting place to be.

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