All Party Parliamentary Group on Diversity in STEM

Meeting in Parliament, 27^th April 2023

Eleanor Wharf – ARCS Executive Committee

ARCS is a proud sponsor of the work of this group which brings inequalities in the STEM workforce to the direct attention of Parliamentarians. The invitation to this meeting was not only an opportunity to see inside Parliament for the first time, drink a cup of tea from House of Commons china, and enjoy the décor of the meeting room, with its red carpet, fancy wallpaper and fireplace, it was a chance to find out exactly what work is being done and represent ARCS amongst other STEM associations and groups.

Most people are aware that we have an issue with achieving a diverse workforce in STEM careers. None more so than the 4 members of the panel; Natalie Desty who helps people returning back in to STEM careers, Stephen Stewart, Head of Skills and Apprenticeships at Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, Mark Richards, founder of The Blackett Lab Family, a social enterprise set up to inspire, represent and connect people with a passion for Physics and positive representations of the Black community, and finally Carol Monaghan, SNP MP for Glasgow North West.

The panelists brought their own lived experiences of the challenges we face in attracting a full range of people to work in STEM.

MP Carol spent many years working as a physics teacher and told the story of her daughter, who in primary school was asked to make a model with the theme ‘Made in Scotland’. Her peers thought of Irn Bru, Ships and whisky. Carol’s daughter made a model of a box satellite, inspired by a company located close to the school which specialised in sending satellites into space. Nobody else in the school knew about this company and it seemed to Carol that this was one of many opportunities missed to encourage children into exciting STEM careers such as this.

Amongst the other Physics problems Mark Richards was solving as part of his PhD in Physics, a recurring question for him was ‘where are all the other people who look like me?’. Over more than 15 years, Mark has gradually brought together people interested in Physics at UCL who represent the Black community, and has recently been awarded the Royal Society’s Research Culture Award. He shared how he had to work in finance for a while when he moved away from London as there were no jobs that would use his specialist skills and knowledge in Physics. Transferrable skills from his background in science meant he was extremely successful in his work in finance, and he highlighted that many science graduates are being tempted into higher-paid jobs by financial institutions. A report due to be published by the APPG in June will also highlight regional variation in availability of STEM careers.

Natalie Desty explained the challenges facing people trying to return to a career in STEM after a break (long term illness, to have a family, after redundancy etc) – a high proportion of returners are from ethnic minority backgrounds, there are many women, and currently age seems to be the biggest barrier facing people returning to STEM. The opportunity to work from home following Covid helped many to return to these jobs, but unfortunately employers are increasingly expecting workers to be present in person. She has just launched the ‘STEM recharge’ programme in the Midlands and North of England to build confidence and assist people wanting to return to STEM careers.

Stephen Stewart is interested in how the use of an apprenticeship programme can help grow the Cell and Gene Therapy industry, whilst also increasing the diversity of this workforce. He has created an advanced level apprenticeship community to help apprentices, who are often isolated within a company, and mentioned how working from home has been a challenge, especially for younger people who often prefer to be physically present with others in their working roles.

There was an interesting Q and A which heard questions from a member of the House of Lords, a former Chief Medical Officer and a social enterprise startup company, all wondering how to overcome barriers to people of a diverse range of backgrounds to get into STEM roles. One suggestion was to increase efforts to reach children of school age. However, Carol Monaghan revealed that as a teacher in countless parents’ evenings, when she would enquire if the child with talent in Physics would be choosing to take the subject forward, the parent would step in to say they had already discouraged their child as it is ‘too hard’. Perhaps the real challenge is to reach parents who are a key stakeholder in the choices their children make at school?

When questioned how to build a diverse and inclusive STEM workforce within the NHS, suggestions were to pay more(!), or to try and make more use of apprenticeships, and encourage more returners to the NHS.

Thanks to ARCS members, we will continue to support and encourage these important discussions to keep bringing them to those in this country who have the power and influence to make change for the better. We need to widen the pool of those coming in to our profession of Reproductive Science, so they can bring a diversity of ideas to help us move confidently into the future.