STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is implicated in every aspect of life. Every product and service is shaped by science and technological innovations, from your smartphone to your food. Taking STEM subjects to a higher level is an increasingly essential skill; it’s been predicted that 75% of all jobs will require STEM skills over the next decade. Below we have listed the top 5 reasons to consider taking a STEM subject to the next level:
The Skillset
STEM subjects teach a range of transferable skills that can be used in almost every occupation or industry. If you’re good with numbers and data, or have strong technical skills, you’ll be suitable for a wide range of roles. You’ll also develop critical thinking, problem-solving and adaptability skills; characteristics that are increasingly vital in today’s competitive job market.
Career Opportunities
In terms of career opportunities within STEM, there are hundreds of specialisations, suitable for curious students who enjoy a challenge. Expect institutions to offer everything from agriculture, astrophysics and biochemistry to game development, pharmacology and neuroscience. You’ll find a great range of options within each field too.
For example, engineering is comprised of aerospace, audio, chemical, civil, electrical, marine, mining and much more. It’s important to keep in mind that whatever your education looks like, it is connected to your future employment. Ensure that you understand the value of what you are studying to your future. Having a STEM qualification makes you very employable. Demand for people working in STEM fields is high and set to rapidly increase in the coming years.
Earning Potential
Another important career consideration is the higher earning potential STEM subjects offer. Graduates of STEM subjects can expect higher starting salaries than graduate of other subjects. They can also expect to be earning more than non-STEM graduates a few years into their employment. On average STEM graduates are expected to earn £250,000 more over a lifetime than non-graduates.
Making the World a Better Place
Today humanity lives in the most comfortable condition it ever has, with modern medicine to cure disease, industrial technology to provide resources to record level populations and efficient agricultural techniques to bring absolute poverty to all time lows. However, this new world has brought new challenges. Fuelling our modern lives has brought the globe to the brink of irreversible global warming whilst the mass use of antibiotics promises to breed uncontrollable superbugs. By studying STEM challenges, you can look at these problems with fresh eyes and learn the skills to improve the world around us.
Lead the Future
The world of tomorrow offers unimaginably exciting possibilities. From driverless cars, to robots to artificial intelligence, humanity is entering a new paradigm of how the world will work. By studying STEM subjects, not only will you gain a greater appreciation of what is to come, you can use your skillset to build this new world. Some of the challenges this planet will have to solve will require STEM leaders in industry, government and academia ready to face them.
And there you have the top 5 reasons to study STEM subjects. If you like the idea of a higher earning potential, and want to play and active role in building our new world; STEM is for you.