Responding to figures published by UCAS, EEF South, the regional manufacturers’ organisation, expressed the hope that the increase will, in time, begin to address the skills shortages being experienced by engineering and technology companies across the region.
David Seall, Chief Executive of EEF South, particularly welcomed news that the University of Southampton, an internationally recognised centre of engineering excellence, was attracting a greater volume of high quality candidates.
“In our recent survey of manufacturers in London and the South East, shortage of skilled staff was identified as a major barrier to growth,” comments EEF South Chief Executive David Seall. “While there is still a long way to go, these latest figures do provide encouragement that young people appreciate the significant opportunities that exist inside UK industry.
“Given the relentless emphasis placed on STEM graduates by emerging nations such as China and India, it is essential that the UK increases the numbers of students emerging from university with degrees which will prepare them for careers in science and engineering. Regional employers will be delighted to learn that much of this talent will be emerging from the University of Southampton, providing an excellent recruitment pool for the future.”
Commenting on the latest figures, Professor Bill Wakeham, University of Southampton Vice-Chancellor, said:”For the UK to compete effectively in the global knowledge economy, we need to be training, at the highest level, the technologists, engineers and business leaders of the future. So, it is very heartening to see such significant increases in applications for STEM subjects.’
“Here at the University of Southampton we’ve seen an increase of 55 per cent in applications for physics; 43 per cent for mathematics; 42 per cent for chemistry; and 30 per cent for civil engineering and the environment.
“As one of the UK’s leading universities for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the University of Southampton has for many years provided a first-class education for thousands of students in these subject areas. Many of our graduates have gone on to make a significant contribution to the success of engineering and technology companies in the region and we look forward to that continuing.”
Dr Chris Emslie, Managing Director of Southampton-based Fibercore Limited, takes a special interest in education and is encouraged by the latest upsurge in interest in STEM subjects among young people.
“This is good news for technology companies in the South East” he says. “As businesses, we must now ensure that we create the right connections with both emerging graduates and GCSE-level students to ensure that we not only capture, but also recognize and nurture the best available talent. It is vital for our regional and national economies that we harness the excellent skills being developed at universities such as Southampton – and this can only happen if STEM subjects are actively promoted as exciting and rewarding options at school.”
Fibercore Limited, a spin-out from the University of Southampton in the early 1980s, is now a world leader in the manufacture and supply of specialty optical fibre used primarily in Fibre Optic Gyroscopes (FOGs) and high-power optical amplifiers (EDFAs) for Fibre To The Home (FTTH) networks.
According to the latest national figures, Chemical, Process, Energy and Mechanical Engineering show significant increases in applications (16.8% and 9.8% respectively). Mathematics and Physics are up 12.2% and 10% respectively.