CaSE calls on government to support an integrated skills system for a more innovative UK

CaSE calls on government to coordinate and support an integrated skills system for a more innovative UK

The Campaign for Science and Engineering’s (CaSE’s) latest report looks at the skills needs of a more innovative and research intensive UK. ‘The Skills Opportunity: Building a more innovative UK’, calls for government to coordinate and support an integrated skills system.

The ambition to make the UK a more research and innovation intensive economy has been a long-standing commitment across successive UK Governments. But this commitment can’t be kept without an ambitious people strategy to match. The UK Government and devolved administrations must coordinate and support an integrated skills system to deliver a more innovative and research intensive UK.

To support the UK’s current and future skills needs, we are calling for:

• Better understanding of skills gaps and needs.
• The provision of incentives and support for employers and individuals.
• Support for local talent and innovation.
• Building an immigration system that attracts international talent.  

During the project leading up to this report, CaSE conducted a series of roundtables which explored specific areas of skills provision where there are bottlenecks and pinch points that need unblocking. The work also drew together important work done by other stakeholders in the sector with the aim of identifying challenges and propose solutions across the whole skills landscape.

Commenting on the report:

Professor Sarah Main, Executive Director, Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE):

“To meet the UK Government’s ambition to become a ‘Science Superpower’ the UK must embrace and enhance skills across the economy. The Government must coordinate and support an integrated skills system, from technical education and apprenticeships, to upskilling and reskilling in the workplace, to unlock skills for a more innovative UK. This report makes recommendations for government that will help businesses in the midst of technology transitions, education and careers advice providers, and individuals looking for opportunities in a more innovative UK.”

Dr Daniel Rathbone, Deputy Executive Director, Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE):

“Ambitions for a more research intensive UK can only be met if the UK utilises the talented and skilled people we already have, attracts international talent and builds a pipeline of future skills. In particular, small innovative businesses need greater support and incentives to provide workplace training and to navigate the immigration system. It’s also crucial that high quality STEM education in schools builds science literacy across society so that everyone can benefit from greater research intensity.”

Report Authors

Dr Daniel Rathbone, CaSE Deputy Executive Director

Dr Camilla d’Angelo, CaSE Policy Officer

More about the project

As part of this work, we have conducted a series of roundtables with stakeholders across the research and innovation landscape to explore different areas of skills provision, you can read writeups of some of the meetings here:

• The role of the immigration system in supporting STEM talent
• The role of lifelong learning to support R&D talent
• Skills for a more innovative Scotland
• The role of technical education to support R&D talent
• CaSE Skills workshop

Acknowledgements

The views and recommendations expressed within the report are those of the Campaign for Science and Engineering and inclusion on this list does not imply endorsement for the contents of the report.

The work was supported by an Advisory Group of the following individuals:

• Beatrice Barleon, EngineeringUK
• Daniel Sandford-Smith, Gatsby Foundation
• Elizabeth Chamberlain, Institute of Physics
• Lisa Morrison-Coulthard, National Foundation for Education Research
• Thomas Frostick, Royal Society
• Amanda Dickins, STEM Learning

We are grateful to the following organisations who have supported roundtables with CaSE for this work:

• Diamond Light Source
• The Gatsby Foundation
• Glasgow Science Centre
• The Open University
• Vialto Partners

We are also grateful to all the organisations who have contributed to this work over the course of the project.