1 in 5 teachers lack awareness of essential skills for chemical science careers
The UK chemistry sector is a dynamic landscape that is predicted to grow over the next decade. But employers are struggling to find workers with the right skills.
As we’ve reported before, teachers have told us that the curriculum needs to change to make chemistry more relevant and accessible, and to address the excessive levels of content. It is also important for chemistry education to be aligned with the demands of employers and the UK economy. Science educators can contextualise their lessons with chemistry-related careers and equip students with the skills needed for today’s job market.
In the 2024 Science Teaching Survey, we asked chemistry teachers of KS5, A-level, and Highers/Advanced Highers how aware they were of the skills that chemical sciences employers expect from prospective scientists:
- 15% of you reported being fully aware
- 20% reported being unaware.
To understand the reasons for this, we did some follow-up focus groups, where teachers reflected that knowledge of chemical science careers often comes from personal experiences, such as industry professionals transitioning into teaching.
