Why Are People Leaving Their STEM Careers?

It is estimated there is a shortfall of over 173,000 workers in the STEM sector: an average of 10 unfilled roles per business in the UK, which is costing the economy a shocking £1.5bn per annum. What is more, 49% of engineering businesses are experiencing difficulties in matching the skillsets required for their businesses. At the same time, increasing numbers of STEM professionals are leaving the sector.

To reduce the shortfall in the STEM sector and boost the UK economy, we look to the leavers and the lessons we can learn. Why are people leaving their STEM careers?

Young Professionals

According to PHD research in 2022, two main reasons were given as to why students choose career paths outside the field:

1.      More attractive non-STEM-related careers. The reasons students gave for their imminent departure from STEM are the better financial reward on offer in some non-STEM sectors, especially finance and business, as well as wider social inequalities and stereotypes. Students are aware that the skills STEM graduates possess are often highly valued and sought after outside the STEM sector, with more competitive salaries on offer from multinational corporations. 

2.      Uncertainty in their STEM-related careers. Students described a general lack of direction or clear career pathway, from a complete lack of career ideas to an overload of options.

Science identity theory helps to conceptualise how students’ perceptions of themselves can be impacted by structural inequalities, making it more or less difficult to project themselves into a future STEM career. If not recognised as a ‘science person’ it can be more difficult to imagine yourself as a science professional and confidently plan your STEM career. More robust science identities may help students push through barriers or persist longer down the STEM road.

Women in STEM

Between 2009 and 2020 there was an almost 30% increase in girls starting STEM related A-levels in England, and between 2011 and 2020, the number of women accepted to full-time STEM undergraduate courses increased by 50.1% in the UK. However in 2020 women only made up 29.4% of the STEM workforce in the UK. A survey by Metlife found that women in STEM were nearly twice as likely than women in other industries to say they are considering leaving the workforce, for reasons such as stress/burnout; seeing others getting promoted ahead of them; not being paid fairly; lack of purposeful and meaningful work; and a lack of diversity at their company.

There are several measures women say employers can take to encourage them to continue pursuing careers in STEM, including increased flexibility (60%); career progression opportunities (56%); increased economic advantages (52%); meaningful organisational purpose and values (48%); and creating an inclusive workplace (42%).

New Families

After a baby, 28% of new parents leave full-time STEM work. 43% of women and 23% of men switch fields, transition to part-time work, or leave the workforce entirely. The surprisingly high attrition rate for men also highlights that parenthood in STEM is not just a mothers' issue; it's a worker issue.

These results have implications for the STEM industry shortfall; whereas parenthood is an important mechanism of women’s attrition, both women and men leave at surprisingly high rates after having children. Given that most people become parents during their working lives, STEM fields must do more to retain professionals with children.

A new survey has identified the top concerns of executives – not only for the next year, but the next decade. The war for talent tops both lists of concerns, but in the short term, economic uncertainty is also at the forefront of business leaders’ minds. The Government and many businesses have responded by encouraging returners with skills based training.

In order to retain STEM talent there is a need to understand the career intentions of STEM undergraduates, especially those from under-represented backgrounds, as their current participation in STEM higher education does not guarantee their involvement in the STEM workforce. If the STEM pipeline is to be secured for all students, regardless of class and personal/family finances, clearer pathways are needed into secure well-paid employment, for example, through paid internship opportunities and graduate schemes, as is prevalent in finance and business.

We need to show not just that there’s a place for women and young families at the table but that there’s a strong and long-term career path for them, as well as young professionals, once they get there.

MD Comment

There has undoubtedly been an improvement in the promotion of STEM careers in recent years which has led to greater uptake at all levels of the education system. However once in industry there appears a clear disconnect between employee expectations and reality, leading to acute retention challenges. Retention itself is a complex and broad topic with many facets. My experience in over 20 years of hiring for STEM employers tells me that one of the biggest challenges in the STEM sector is it’s diversity and in particular the low number of women in leadership and mentorship roles. There are numerous organisations seeking to redress the balance and also improve the experience for young families but why oh why is taking so long?