An Investigation of the Factors Affecting the Post-University Employment of Chemical Science Graduates in the UK

An Investigation of the Factors Affecting the Post-University Employment of Chemical Science Graduates in the UK Report to the Royal Society of Chemistry funded by Chemistry for our Future Kate Purcell and Gaby Atfield Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick and Charlie Ball Higher Education Careers Services Unit, with Peter Elias, Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick September 2008

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CONTENTS Table of Contents Tables Figures Executive Summary Page i iv v ix CHAPTER 1.0 INVESTIGATING THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND FOR CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATES AND THEIR SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Chemical Science defining the research population 3 1.3 Research methodologies used and the structure of the report 4 CHAPTER 2.0 WHO OPTS TO STUDY CHEMICAL SCIENCES AND HOW DO THEY FARE? 7 2.1 Introduction 7 2.2 Characteristics of Chemical Science applicants 7 2.3 Higher education choices made by Chemical Science 11 applicants 2.4 Futuretrack Stage Two: integration into HE and 15 evaluation of choices made 2.5 Characteristics of the Stage Two Chemical Scientists 15 2.6 How Chemical Science students spend their time 16 2.7 Career development of Chemical Science students 20 2.8 Chemical Science students skills 27 2.9 Chemical Science students perceptions of their 28 courses 2.10 Summary 31 CHAPTER 3.0 THE CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATE LABOUR SUPPLY SKILLS AND ASPIRATIONS FINALISTS SURVEY 33 3.1 Introduction 33 3.2 Characteristics of final year Chemical Science 33 students 3.3 Chemical Science students experiences of higher 34 education 3.4 Aspirations for future employment and other postgraduation 40 options 3.5 Finalists Experiences of Seeking Employment 50 3.6 Summary 55 CHAPTER 4.0 EXPLORING THE SUPPLY OF CHEMICAL SCIENCE 57 GRADUATES AND THEIR LABOUR MARKET INTEGRATION: THE TRANSITION FROM HIGHER EDUCATION TO EMPLOYMENT 4.1 Introduction 57 4.2 First destination statistics: the 2006/7 leavers 57 i

4.2.1 The Chemical Science graduate profile 57 4.3 First destinations of Chemical Science graduates 60 from 2006/7 4.4 Where were new Chemical Science graduates 62 employed? 4.4.1 Employment of first degree graduates in Chemical 62 Sciences 4.5 How did Chemical Science graduates find their first 68 destination jobs? 4.6 Summary 68 CHAPTER 5.0 THE EARLY CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATES: EVIDENCE FROM THE LONGITUDINAL STUDIES 71 5.1 Introduction 71 5.2 Graduate Careers beyond First Destinations 71 5.2.1 Where were the Class of 99 graduates four years 71 on? 5.2.2 Reasons for taking current job 77 5.2.3 Characteristics of current job 77 5.2.4 Earnings 78 5.3 Summary 82 CHAPTER 6.0 THE DEMAND FOR CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATES : 85 GENERAL EMPLOYERS 6.1 Introduction 85 6.2 Recruitment of Chemical Science graduates 85 6.2.1 General employers reasons for recruiting 86 Chemical Science graduates 6.2.2 General employers methods of recruiting Chemical 86 Science graduates 6.2.3 Problems experienced by general employers when 88 recruiting Chemical Science graduates 6.3. Employment of Chemical Science graduates by 89 general employers 6.3.1 Types of employers of Chemical Science 89 graduates 6.3.2 Types of jobs that Chemical Science graduates do 89 6.4 General employers perceptions of Chemical Science 90 graduates skills 6.4.1 Skills general employers looks for 90 6.4.2 Skills general employers think Chemical Science 92 graduates have 6.4.3 Skills general employers think Chemical Science 93 graduates lack 6.4.4 General employers perception of the skills 94 Chemical Science graduates offer 6.4.5 General employers perceptions of how Chemical 97 Science graduates skills have changed over time 6.5 Summary 98 ii

CHAPTER 7.0 THE DEMAND FOR CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATES : 101 GENERAL EMPLOYERS 7.1 Introduction 101 7.2 Recruitment of Chemical Science graduates by 102 specialist employers 7.2.1 Specialist employers reasons for recruiting 102 Chemical Science graduates 7.2.2 Specialist employers methods of recruiting 104 Chemical Science graduates 7.2.3 Problems experienced by specialist employers 106 when recruiting Chemical Science graduates 7.3 Employment of Chemical Science graduates by 108 specialist employers 7.3.1 Types of employers of Chemical Science 108 graduates 7.3.2 Types of jobs Chemical Science graduates do 108 7.4 Specialist employers perceptions of Chemical 109 Science graduates skills 7.4.1 Skills specialist employers looks for 109 7.4.2 Skills specialist employers think Chemical Science 111 graduates have 7.4.3 Skills specialist employers think Chemical Science 112 graduates lack 7.4.4 Specialist employers perceptions of how 115 Chemical Science graduates skills have changed over time 7.5 Recruitment of Chemical Science graduates by 117 agencies 7.5.1 Role of agencies in recruiting Chemical Science 118 graduates 7.5.2 Agencies methods of recruiting Chemical Science 119 graduates 7.5.3 Problems recruiting Chemical Science graduates 119 7.6 Recruitment agencies perceptions of Chemical 120 Science graduates skills 7.7 Demand for Chemical Science graduates by 121 Universities 7.8 Summary 121 CHAPTER 8.0 CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE INVESTIGATION 125 8.1 The fit between the supply and demand 125 8.1.1 Making the match between supply and demand 126 8.2 Trends and projections 128 8.3 Implications for key stakeholder groups 130 8.3.1 Providers of Chemical Science undergraduate 130 programmes 8.3.2 Higher Education Careers Services 132 8.3.3 Higher education students 133 8.3.4 Employers 134 8.3.5 Professional bodies 135 iii

APPENDIX 1 Sample surveys and statistical significance 139 APPENDIX 2 APPENDIX 3 APPENDIX 4 List of Universities whose students participated in the finalists survey Employment categories from What Do Graduates Do? Used in this report Methodology for approximating the number of postdoctoral researchers in first destination data, adapted from What Do PhDs Do? 141 143 145 APPENDIX 5 Additional Table and Figures 147 APPENDIX 6 Organisations consulted in the employers survey 149 TABLES Table 2.1 Table 2.2 Table 2.3 Table 2.4 Table 2.5 Ethnicity breakdown of students accepted to study Chemical Sciences Reasons for applying to enter full-time HE, all applicants and Chemical Science applicants Reasons for choice of subject, comparing Chemical Sciences and all accepted applicants Proportion agreeing with statements about key aspects of HE, comparing Chemical Sciences and all accepted respondents Self-assessment of skills levels by students at the end of their first year of study 10 12 13 14 27 Table 3.1 Number of respondents who had been offered a job in each 51 sector Table 3.2 Where finalists have looked for future employment 51 Table 3.3 Skills and attributes finalists think employers are looking for, independent of subject expertise, when they specify that job applicants should be graduates 54 Table 4.1 Table 4.2 Table 4.3 Table 4.4 Table 4.5 Table 4.6 Table 4.7 UK Degrees awarded in 2006/7, by specialist Chemical Science subject UK First Degrees awarded in 2006/7, by specialist Chemical Science subject UK Chemical Science Degrees awarded in 2006/7, by ethnicity, compared with science and engineering UK Chemical Science First Degrees awarded in 2006/7, by ethnicity, comparing MChem and BSc First destinations of first degree Chemical Science graduates from 2006/7 comparison of MChem and BSc First destinations of doctoral Chemical Science graduates from 2006/7 compared with those for all science and engineering Occupational distribution of UK-domiciled first degree graduates from 2006/7 working in the UK six months after 58 58 59 59 61 62 63 iv

Table 4.8 Table 4.9 Table 4.10 Table 5.1 Table 5.2 graduation, comparing Chemical Sciences, all science and engineering and the 2006/7 graduate population as a whole Types of employment undertaken by UK-domiciled first degree graduates from 2006/7 in Chemical Sciences working in the UK six months after graduation comparison of MChem and BSc Occupational roles undertaken by UK-domiciled first degree graduates from 2006/7 in Chemical Sciences working in the UK six months after graduation by sector Occupational distributions of 2006/7 UK-domiciled doctoral graduates, comparing Chemical Sciences, all science and engineering and all PhD-holders working in the UK six months after graduation 1999 graduates: average earnings in current job, four years after graduation 1995 graduates; average earnings in first job after graduation and current job, seven years on 64 65 67 79 79 Table 6.1 Interviews conducted with general employers by sector 85 Table 6.2 Methods of recruiting Chemical Science and other graduates 87 Table 6.3 Comparison of Chemical Science graduates skills with the skills of graduates in general 94 Table 7.1: Interviews conducted with specialist employers by sector 101 Table 7.2: Methods used by specialist Chemical Science employers to 104 recruit chemical scientists Table 7.3: Chemical Science graduate skills compared to graduates in 114 general Table 7.4: Role of agencies in the recruitment of Chemical Science and 118 other graduates Table 7.5: Methods used by agencies to recruit chemical scientists 119 Table 8.1: Table 8.2: Final year students awareness of the skills employers consider most important Congruence between the skills and attributes that employers perceive as lacking in Chemical Science graduates, and those finalists saw their courses as not enabling them to develop much 127 128 FIGURES Figure 2.1 Outcomes of applicants who applied to Chemical Science 8 courses in Futuretrack Stage One Figure 2.2 Age breakdown of students accepted to study Chemical 9 Sciences, comparing Chemical Sciences with all accepted students for 2006 Figure 2.3 UCAS tariff points of applicants to Chemical Sciences 10 Figure 2.4 Educational background of Chemical Science applicants 11 Figure 2.5 Comparative distribution of Chemical Sciences and all 14 applicant responses to career planning scale Figure 2.6 Paid employment of Chemical Science students in their first 17 year of higher education Figure 2.7 Why did Chemical Science students do paid work in their 17 first year? Figure 2.8 Why did Chemical Science students do voluntary work in 18 v

their first year? Figure 2.9 What kind of other extracurricular activity did Chemical 19 Science students undertake in their first year? Figure 2.10 How has your experience of higher education so far affected 22 your career plans? Figure 2.11 What kinds of careers advice did you access in your first 24 year? Figure 2.12 How often did you visit your university careers service? 24 Figure 2.13 Types of postgraduate study Chemical Science students plan 26 to undertake Figure 2.14 How did you feel about the standard of work required on your Chemical Science course? 29 Figure 3.1 Type of course by length of course 34 Figure 3.2 Class of degree realistically expected by type of course 35 Figure 3.3 Industrial placements by type of degree 36 Figure 3.4 Finalists experience of paid and unpaid work during term 37 time and vacations Figure 3.5 How far finalists felt that their course had enabled them to 38 develop traditional academic skills very much or quite a lot Figure 3.6 How far finalists felt that their course had enabled them to 39 develop employability skills very much or quite a lot Figure 3.7 How far finalists felt that their course had enabled them to 39 develop personal skills very much or quite a lot Figure 3.8 How far finalists felt that their course had enabled them to 40 develop particular skills comparing BSc and MChem courses Figure 3.9 Whether students who had a clear idea about what they 41 wanted to do when they completed their degrees still intend to do the same thing by type of course Figure 3.10 Whether finalists wanted to remain in the Chemical Sciences 42 by whether they had done an industrial placement as part of their course Figure 3.11 Post-graduation plans by type of course 43 Figure 3.12 Type of post-graduate course applied for by type of degree 44 Figure 3.13 Type of post-graduate course applied for by gender 44 Figure 3.14 Reasons for applying for another course by type of current 45 course Figure 3.15 Employment sectors finalists would be willing to consider by 46 gender Figure 3.16 Type of job/trainee post by type of course 47 Figure 3.17 Most important characteristics finalists looked for in a job 47 Figure 3.18 Minimum expected salary by type of course 48 Figure 3.19 Whether debt will affect finalists post-graduation options by 49 expected debt on graduation Figure 3.20 Number of jobs related to their long term career plans that 50 finalists had applied for Figure 3.21 Where finalists sought careers advice 53 Figure 3.22 Types of advice sought from the Careers Advisory Service 53 Figure 4.1 First destinations of first degree Chemical Science graduates 60 from 2006/7 compared with those for all science and engineering Figure 4.2 Graduate employment categories for UK-domiciled first 66 degree graduates from 2006/7 six months after graduating Figure 4.3 Graduate employment categories for UK-domiciled first 66 vi

Figure 4.4 degree graduates from 2006/7 in the Chemical Sciences six months after graduating MChem and BSc comparison Comparison between doctoral and first degrees, examining how 2006/7 Chemical Science graduates had found the job that they were doing at the time of the DLHE survey 68 Figure 5.1 Current activity four years after graduation, comparing 72 Chemical Science, all Natural Science and all graduates Figure 5.2 Sectoral distribution of 1999 graduates 4 years on, 73 comparing Chemical Sciences, all Natural Science and all graduates Figure 5.3 Requirements for obtaining current job 75 Figure 5.4 SOC(HE)category of current job, 4 years after completion of 76 undergraduate degree, comparing Chemical Sciences, Natural Sciences and all graduates Figure 5.5 Movement out of non graduate jobs, comparing Chemical 76 Science, Natural Science and all 1999 graduates over 4 years after graduation Figure 5.6 Movement out of non graduate jobs, comparing Chemical 77 Science, Natural Science and all 1999 graduates over 4 years after graduation Figure 5. 7 Team working, working with clients/customers and degree of 78 autonomy, comparing Chemical Science graduates and all 1999 graduates Figure 5.8 Skills used in current job 4 years on by 1999 Chemical 80 Science graduates Figure 5.9 A comparison of skills used in current job by Chemical 80 Science 1999 graduates 4 years after graduation and 1995 graduates 7 years after graduation Figure 5.10 Appropriateness of current job, comparing Chemical 81 Science, Natural Science and all graduates Figure 5.11 Satisfaction with career to date, comparing Chemical Science, Natural Science and all graduates 82 vii

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Executive Summary Recognition of the need to invest in the development of scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical (STEM) skills is central to UK efforts to maintain and develop the knowledge base for the economy, and in particular, to provide the foundation for technological innovations required for a sustainable future. The Royal Society of Chemistry commissioned this report in the light of concern about numbers of students opting to study Chemistry in secondary and higher education (HE) and their opportunities to do so, and to provide evidence of the career development opportunities available to Chemical Science graduates. The key aim was to investigate the factors influencing students choices of Chemical Science courses that affect the post-university employment of chemical science graduates in the UK. The research brief identified a wide range of areas of investigation relating to perceptions, attitudes and experiences of Chemical Science students and graduates at different stages of career development. This was an ambitious brief. The background to the study and full details of the methodologies used are given in Chapter 1, but in the course of conducting the study, eight separate, complementary research exercises were conducted and to make sense of the findings presented below, it is necessary to list these at the outset. Secondary analyses of existing sources of data were undertaken, as follows: I. analysis of relevant data, focusing on those who had applied to study on a Chemical Science degree course, at two stages of an ongoing longitudinal study of 2006 full-time HE applicants, between application and embarking on HE, and after the first year of study; II. targeted analysis of national Higher Education Statistic Agency (HESA) 2006/7 Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) first destination statistics (FDS), exploring the employment outcomes and other relevant variables reported by first and higher degree graduates six months after graduation; III. analysis of relevant data, looking at the comparative early career patterns of Chemical Science and other graduates surveyed in two recent national investigations of the early career experiences of 1999 and 1995 graduates, four and seven years after graduation; In addition, three new pieces of original empirical research were conducted: I. a small number of telephone interviews with full-time Chemical Science second year student respondents to the above longitudinal study; II. UK and Republic of Ireland (ROI) Chemical Science final year undergraduates were invited between May and July 2008 to complete an online questionnaire, in which they were asked to evaluate their undergraduate experience in terms of the skills and knowledge acquired, and their perceptions of their career options, the graduate labour market and their early career plans; III. telephone or face-to-face interviews were conducted with representatives of 60 organisations that recruit graduates with Chemical Science degrees. The key findings of this complex research programme are given below, starting with the findings from investigation of data on pre-entry HE applicants and culminating in the analyses of graduate recruiters views about Chemical Science graduates they had recently recruited or considered for vacancies. ix

Applying to study the Chemical Sciences Among the HE applicants, those who applied for Chemical Science courses had a higher rate of success in gaining a place in HE than average. Nearly two-thirds of 2006 applicants planned to complete a four, rather than three-year undergraduate course, including MChem and four year BSc programmes. Most had applied for Chemistry degree places but Forensic Sciences and related subjects have been growing in popularity. Although women are increasingly choosing Chemical Science courses, Chemical Science applicants remain more likely than average to be male, young, and to have high tariff points on entry; a similar profile to the traditional HE applicant. The majority of Chemistry Departments are located in pre-1992 universities, and 73 per cent of applicants were hoping to attend a Russell Group or other old university. As is well-established, students from minority ethnic groups are under-represented among Chemical Science applicants, but there was a slightly higher proportion of Asian students in the Chemical Sciences group than amongst all students. Enjoyment of the subject and interest in the course were the main reasons why applicants had chosen to apply to study a Chemical Science subject. They were somewhat less motivated by employment-related factors than student respondents as a whole. After a year of study There was a high degree of satisfaction expressed by Chemical Science students, both with their courses and their experience of HE more generally. A relatively small proportion, 7 per cent said that they were either unhappy or very unhappy with their choice of course after their first year, 70 per cent reported themselves to be very happy or happy with their choice of course and 43 per cent disagreed strongly when asked whether they had made a mistake in choosing to study a Chemical Science subject; not significantly different to responses from the sample as a whole. Chemical Science students spend a relatively large amount of time on course work and in formal learning sessions, and nearly half had found the workload heavier than they had expected, although only 16 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that the amount of work they had to complete on their course was excessive. Their heavier timetables appeared to have reduced the amount of time they are able to spend on paid and voluntary work and social and other extracurricular activities. Almost three quarters of Chemical Science students did no paid work during term time and a third did no paid work during their first year at all. Consequently, they were less likely to have undertaken paid work during term time than graduates as a whole, although in counterbalance, they were more likely to have worked in vacations only and only very slightly more likely to have had no work experience. They were also less likely to have undertaken unpaid or voluntary work, and where they had, less likely to have given the reasons that it was part of their programme of study or they were undertaking it to develop employment-related skills. They were slightly less clear about their career paths than applicants as a whole. At the end of their first year, 48 per cent reported that their career plans were neither more nor less clear than they had been when they had been applying to enter HE. The majority had not visited their University Careers Service and 12 per cent were unaware of its existence. x

As they embarked on the transition from HE to employment or further study Of the 612 final year students who participated in the enquiry, 49 per cent of respondents were studying for a BSc level degree and 52 per cent for an MChem or equivalent first level Masters degree. Almost three-quarters said that they would either definitely or probably choose the same course again, but a further 10 per cent would choose a similar course and just 8 per cent would choose a completely different course. Industrial placements as part of the course had been more undertaken twice as often by MChem than BSc students (35 per cent and 15 per cent respectively). 54 per cent of respondents studying for a MChem qualification had applied to go on to further study, compared to 49 per cent of students on BSc courses. Students on MChem courses were most likely to apply to study for a PhD, while amongst students on BSc courses, there was a relatively even split between Masters degrees, PhDs and PGCEs. Women predominated among the PGCE applicants. Well over two-thirds (69 per cent) definitely hoped to use their Chemistry or other scientific knowledge in their jobs. 15 per cent had no preference about whether they remained in the Chemical Sciences, and only 16 per cent wanted to change to a different kind of work. The biggest changes that had occurred in students career plans since starting their courses were reported to have been in relation to the branch of Chemical Science in which they planned to pursue a career, reflecting exposure to a wider range of options after becoming Chemical Science students than most had previously been aware of. The two sectors in which finalists were most commonly considering looking for employment were Healthcare Manufacturing (including pharmaceuticals and biotechnology), and Fine Chemicals (including oil and paint). Work that was interesting and challenging was the most important thing respondents looked for when considering whether a job would be suitable for them. Just over half had already started looking for employment and of those, 51 per cent had been offered a job related to their long-term career plans. Students on MChem programmes were more likely to have been offered a job than those on BSc courses. Examination of the skills respondents thought employers seek from graduates and the skills they thought they were developing significantly on their courses reveal areas where a significant proportion of students were not confident that courses provided some of the skills they perceived as necessary for employment. Team-work, leadership and communication skills were particularly mentioned. First destination evidence There is less gender and ethnic diversity amongst MChem graduates than amongst BSc graduates in the Chemical Sciences. The proportion of women falls as the level of course increases from BSc to PhD. As was indicated in the finalists enquiry, Chemical Science graduates were much more likely than other science and engineering graduates to go on to further study. Graduates with MChem degrees were more than twice as likely as those with BSc degrees to go on to further study. Chemical Science graduates were less likely than graduates as a whole to begin their careers in jobs that did not require a degree. Of those who were in employment six months after graduation, 32 per cent of the MChems were working in Scientific xi

Research, Analysis and Development, compared to 18 per cent of those with a BSc. Graduates with a BSc degree were more likely than those with an MChem to go into teaching, but graduates with a BSc were also more likely to be female; a variable highly correlated by propensity to develop careers in education. The range of occupations that Chemical Science graduates were employed in six months after graduation shows the versatility of a Chemical Science degree The average rate of unemployment six months after graduation was almost 6 per cent and Chemical Science graduates were slightly more likely to be unemployed than graduates from science and engineering as a whole. Graduates with MChem degrees were, however, half as likely as those with BSc degrees in the Chemical Sciences to be unemployed after graduation (4 per cent of MChem, compared with 8 per cent of BSc graduates). The fact that recruitment agencies have become increasingly important for recruitment into the Chemical Science industries was apparent in the DLHE analysis. 40 per cent of first degree graduates who entered the Chemical Sciences had found their job through an agency. Amongst PhD graduates, networking was found to be a common route into a job. Evidence from the longitudinal studies, four and seven years after graduation As found at first destination, Chemical Science graduates were more likely than graduates as a whole to have obtained employment where their degree was required and used soon after graduation and, throughout their early careers, to be more likely to be in unequivocally graduate jobs: more often in established categories of graduate employment rather than newer graduate jobs. These are the occupational categories most likely to both require and draw upon HE learning. They were more likely to report being in a job related to their long-term career plans and this proportion increased between the 4 years on and 7 years on cohorts. In addition, they were progressively more likely to be in jobs where their qualifications and subject were important and where their degree level had been important. The characteristics of their current jobs that they cited bore this out, with 86 per cent reporting that it provided interesting and challenging work, 73 per cent that it provided continual skills development and 62 per cent that it provided the opportunity to earn a competitive salary. Chemical Science graduates were more likely than others to perceive that they had opportunities for an international career. They were increasingly likely to be employed in manufacturing but, as in the graduate labour market as a whole, occupational outcomes are gendered, and the pattern of career development exhibited by Chemical Scientists is no exception. Men were more likely to work in primary manufacturing industries and, as with graduate women as a whole, female chemists were more likely to work in public sector employment and, in particular to have entered education or public services. However, women with Chemical Science degrees were more likely than other graduates to be employed in manufacturing and in the private sector. Their reasons for taking their current jobs were similar to those given by graduates generally, with the fact that it was exactly the kind of job they wanted and that it provided interesting work, as the main reasons cited. They were more likely than members of the aggregate groups as a whole to mention salary level and other conditions of employment as having been reasons. Four years on, they were more likely than other graduates to work as members of a team, less likely to report that their xii

work was closely supervised and less likely to work with customers or clients, than other graduates. A tentative comparison of earnings distributions of both the 1999 and 1995 samples revealed little difference between the average earnings of Chemical Science graduates and others, but male Chemical Science graduates appear to have fared relatively well, and it is important to bear in mind the gendered patterns of employment among graduates and the impact of this on earnings potential. Chemical Science graduates were, however, less likely than the groups with which they were compared to be either in low paid jobs or jobs at the highest end of the earnings spectrum. Given that the Chemical Science graduates were more likely to be employed in established professions, much of which involves public sector employment, it is not surprising that relatively few of them were found in the top deciles of graduate earners. In general the skills most frequently used in current employment were common to graduate jobs i.e. spoken communication, basic computer literacy, problem-solving skills, ability to work in teams and written communication, but these were followed in importance of use in the Chemical Science sub-sample by numeracy skills, management skills and research skills. Comparing the responses given by the 1995 cohort seven years after graduation, the areas where skills appear to have become increasingly required are congruent with career progression: problem-solving skills, management skills, leadership skills and interestingly, creativity. The overwhelming majority of Chemical Science graduates in both cohorts were very satisfied or reasonably satisfied with their career development to date; slightly less likely to have indicated very satisfied than graduates generally, but more likely to have come down on the positive side by giving one of these responses. This may be indicative of lesser very positive experiences, but it is equally likely to reflect higher aspirations or greater reticence on the part of the Chemical Science respondents. The employers perspectives General graduate employers, employers from the Chemical and related industries who positively sought applicants with Chemical Science degrees, and agencies that had recently selected or placed Chemical Science applicants for vacancies were included in the interview programme. The general employers had experienced little difficulty in filling relevant recent posts and were happy with the quality of the graduates they had appointed. They were less concerned with subject/discipline than with skills and potential and recruited graduates from a range of disciplines. Some favoured the Chemical Science graduates along with graduates from other numerate or analytical disciplines, but most saw no advantage in MChem rather than BSc degrees unless graduates could demonstrate that what they had learnt during the extra time was relevant to their ability to do the advertised job. The most popular method of recruitment was through targeted approaches to particular universities or university departments, although online website recruitment has become increasingly popular as a first sift of applicants, commenting that it was cheaper and no less effective than other methods. The internet was particularly important to smaller and less traditional graduate recruiters, although they were also likely to favour recruitment fairs as they were seen as giving them an opportunity to get their name known. Undergraduate work experience programmes were commonly used by employers as a way of assessing a student as a potential recruit upon graduation. Several xiii

organisations stated that it was unusual for them not to offer a placement student a job on graduation. Many of the employers interviewed took graduates onto training schemes and expected the graduates to undertake further training in a particular area. This was most common amongst the largest organisations. Across all sectors, the skills employers most looked for were: teamwork, written and spoken communication, problem solving and numeracy. They also looked for people who were personable, hard working and highly motivated. Chemical Science graduates were seen to possess important skills, although many employers felt that their skills sets may be a little lopsided. The most commonly mentioned skills that Chemical Science graduates were thought to have were: analytical skills, numeracy, research skills, logic, and attention to detail and accuracy. Skills often thought to be lacking were spoken and written communication, teamwork, social skills and the ability to deal with people, and leadership. Some employers felt that Chemical Science graduates did not present themselves well in the recruitment process, failing to demonstrate their skills and potential effectively, especially in interviews; although employers also mentioned particular problems with CVs. However, many of the general employers did not have much experience of recruiting Chemical Science graduates, seeing only a few in each year s recruitment round. Several admitted that some of their views of Chemical Science graduates would be based on stereotypes rather than a great deal of experience. The specialist employers tended to have a more positive view of Chemical Science graduates but also to be much more critical consumers of HE output. Like the general graduate employers, they targeted particular university departments, but there was some evidence that the specialist employers have been making attempts to widen the range of universities they target, in particular trying to recruit qualified graduates from post-92 universities. Respondents noted that this was getting easier as they become more familiar with other universities, but there were questions raised about the content of degree programmes and the employer s ability to assess the quality of what has been taught. Some employers were concerned about what they perceived to be an increased specialisation on undergraduate degrees. Employers mentioned that it was important to them that people should have pure chemistry skills, and that degrees that were too specialised or which were split between several subjects did not always give graduates suitable skills and experience. This was not, however, a universally held view, as some employers did like to see specialisation when it was in an area they were particularly looking for. The skills they sought were more specific than those mentioned by the general employers. Skills shortages were identified in analytical chemistry, physical organic chemistry and large scale work at the interface between chemistry and chemical engineering. As well as for jobs that required specific chemistry skills, recruiters in the chemical industries also recruited and sought Chemical Scientists for manufacturing and sales jobs requiring specialist technical knowledge and these had often been the hardest posts to fill. There were also concerns raised about a lack of particular technical skills, especially those that required mathematical ability. The generic skills that these employers looked for most often, in addition to subject-specific expertise and technical knowledge, were teamwork, communication skills, and self-management. Universities, as employers, rarely recruited first degree graduates and for teaching, research and increasingly, many technician-level posts in Chemical Science departments, highly specialist skills and a PhD are the minimum requirement. At the other extreme, less skilled technician posts (for which low turnover was reported) xiv

tended to be staffed by sub-degree level recruits who then were often encouraged to raise their qualification levels in post. The skills that specialist employers identified and valued in Chemical Science graduates were analytical thinking, technical knowledge, numeracy, problem solving, skills, interpersonal skills, flexibility, motivation and self-discipline, attention to detail - and love of, and enthusiasm for, their subject. The skills they felt that such graduates most frequently lacked were written and spoken communication skills, business awareness, and, in some cases, self-motivation: an evaluation that echoes the evaluations of the general employers. As had been found in the DLHE analysis, the investigation of vacancies recently advertised and discussions with employers reinforced the finding that recruitment agencies have been becoming increasingly important for recruitment into the chemical industry. Specialist employers who had experienced problems recruiting attributed this to their location and that they were looking for skills that were in particularly short supply. In Chapter 8, we draw the findings from all of the investigations together, discussing the fit between supply and demand, commenting on change and indications of possible future development, and identifying the implications for key stakeholder groups: providers of Chemical Science undergraduate programmes, careers advisers, students, employers and professional associations. xv

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CHAPTER 1.0 INVESTIGATING THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND FOR CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATES AND THEIR SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 1.1 Background The need to invest in high level research skills and knowledge is central to UK efforts to maintain and develop the knowledge base for the economy, generate and maintain a world class research community and provide the foundation for technological and scientific innovations required for a sustainable future 1. Concern about declining numbers studying Chemical Science at senior secondary school and at undergraduate level 2 underpins the Royal Society of Chemistry s (RSC) current campaign for the Chemical Sciences 3. Study of Chemical Science 4 at university level has been subject to considerable debate in recent years. A number of high profile closures of university Chemical Science departments and declining numbers of students studying the Chemical Sciences at degree level have fuelled this debate, coupled with concerns about the number and quality of those entering teaching in Chemical Science 5. It is one of a number of disciplines that have been the subject of attention for similar reasons, and HEFCE commissioned the Review of strategically important and vulnerable subjects in 2005, headed by the late Sir Gareth Roberts 6. The Review noted a real decline in numbers of students opting to study Chemical Sciences and suggested that there was a danger of the university system being unable to supply the economy with sufficient graduates from science disciplines, including Chemical Sciences, to fulfil demand. It was reflected that at undergraduate level, sciences in general were perceived by employers and students alike as hard degrees, and that standards had generally held, if not improved, but the Committee also commented, as have some employers, that changes to the A- and AS-level syllabuses may have led to a decline in the level of mathematical skills required and developed and contributed to the decline in numbers opting for Chemical Sciences, given that a good knowledge of mathematics is an essential prerequisite to undergraduate Chemical Sciences study. This reinforced findings from the 2002 Government Review, SET for Success 7, particularly with reference to postgraduate research degree graduates - a review that was also chaired by Sir Gareth Roberts, to examine the supply of science and engineering skills in the UK. In addition, it was reported that some students felt that science courses were unrewarding in that they were not seen as offering career opportunities commensurate with their perceived difficulty and effort required. Some graduates had taken science degrees out of love for their subject and had become disenchanted with the routine, boring and poorly paid jobs they had obtained. As a 1 For example, HM Treasure (2005), Prosperity for all in the global economy, Final Report of Lord Leitch s Review of Skills, http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/leitch_review/review_leitch_index.cfm, and International Competitiveness: Competitiveness & the Role of Universities, (2007), London, Council for Industry in Higher Education (CIHE), http://www.cihe-uk.com 2 There is some evidence this trend is reversing, with an increase in numbers in the last year, according to UCAS application data. 3 http://www.rsc.org/aboutus/campaigns/index.asp 4 5 6 7 In defining Chemical Sciences students, we include everyone studying a subject coded under the JACS system as F100 to F190, and all students studying one of these subjects as part of a joint degree. Most notably, this definition does not include biochemistry or chemical engineering, which are classified as different subjects, but does include medicinal Chemical Sciences, which is not. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6722653.stm HEFCE (2005), Strategically important and vulnerable subjects. Final report of the advisory group. http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2005/05_24/ HM Treasury (2002) SET for Success: Final Report of Sir Gareth Roberts' Review into the supply of science and engineering skills in the UK. http://www.hmtreasury.gov.uk/documents/enterprise_and_productivity/research_and_enterprise/ent_res_roberts.cfm 1

result, students were becoming interested in jobs offering the highest starting salaries, which did not tend to include jobs in science (HM Treasury ibid:111). Employers, meanwhile, complained that science students tended to lack commercial awareness, and that they had trouble applying and developing the knowledge that they had obtained. Roberts concluded that PhDs did not prepare people adequately for careers either in academia or business, with shortfalls in training in commercial awareness, communications, management and interpersonal skills. These skills gaps had contributed to a morale problem in postgraduate study, exacerbated by the fact that postgraduate study was financially unattractive in the short term, with PhD stipends low compared to graduate starting salaries and with PhD careers failing to keep pace with well paid graduate level alternatives. This, of course, reflects the greater likelihood of PhD-holders to remain in academia or to enter public sector employment rather than the generally more lucrative private sector graduate labour market 8. As a result of the Roberts Review, measures have been promoted by the Research Councils and implemented to a greater or lesser degree in most universities across the disciplinary spectrum to improve standards of postgraduate training and support 9,10. Pressure is also being applied by employers to encourage participation in science, engineering and technology (SET) subjects. In August 2007, the CBI called for bursaries to attract students to study certain subjects, including Chemical Sciences, where the numbers of applicants has fallen in recent years and a shortfall in skills is already apparent to employers and policymakers 11. In this call, the CBI singled out Chemical Sciences as an area of particular concern within science, engineering and technology subjects. Among the reasons for the decline in numbers studying the subject, the CBI cited the image of the subject - that it was perceived to be boring and hard and led to employment in all-male industries. In addition, the press release noted that there was a belief that the sciences in general had uncertain pay and conditions (despite relatively recent findings showing excellent returns on science qualifications 12 ). The widespread concern about the shortfall in appropriately-qualified Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) graduates to meet UK labour market demands has been further highlighted in a subsequent CBI education and skills survey published earlier this year, which includes a chapter entitled STEM skills are in short supply 13 and similar concerns have been articulated by the Trades Union Council (TUC) in a report published earlier in 2008 14. This project provides an opportunity to research the perceptions of HE applicants, students and graduates who did opt for Chemistry and related subjects, to identify the experiences and attributes that contributed or led to their career decisions. It may also be possible to explore why Chemistry A level-holders who went in other career directions chose not to follow one possible route open to them: studying Chemical Sciences at undergraduate level. Relatively up-to-date, robust and comprehensive research-based evidence about the motivations of UK students to study Chemical Science and related subjects, and their 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 c.f Purcell et al. (2005) The class of 99: Graduate careers four years after graduation. London: DfES. www.grad.ac.uk Results from the recently conducted UK Grad. Postgraduate Research Experience Survey will be launched on 12th September. http://www.grad.ac.uk/downloads/documents/events/final%20report%20for%20web.pdf See recent CBI press release, 13th August 2007 http://www.cbi.org.uk/ndbs/press.nsf/0363c1f07c6ca12a8025671c00381cc7/78d22d04f598e4b480257330004b10c 3?OpenDocument) For example, Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP (2005) The economic benefits of higher education qualifications: a report produced for the Royal Society of Chemical Sciences and the Institute of Physics. (http://www.rsc.org/education/policy/economicbenefitsofhe.asp) Taking Stock. CBI education and skills survey 2008. www.cbi.org.uk CBI/edexcel, April 2008. Hybrid Cars and Shooting Stars: a Trade union agenda for greater participation and understanding of science. London: TUC Economic and social Affairs Department, April 2008. 2

career outcomes does not exist. A 2003 review looked specifically at the recruitment and retention of women in Chemical Sciences 15 and the representation of ethnic minority students in Chemical Sciences was examined in 2006 by Elias et al. 16 In 2000, the RSC published an incisive and candid report about the reasons students choose to study Chemical Sciences, and why many choose to leave it behind as their careers progress 17, identifying similar trends and issues to those reported by Roberts two years later: the lack of clear career structures, relatively low pay in relation to achievement and effort, lack of support and the long hours culture in scientific research contexts - yet many students articulated the excitement Chemical Sciences engenders the ability to solve problems, get results, and the creativity that Chemistry allows (and that many outside the discipline often fail to realize). The What do Graduates do? 18 and What do PhDs do? 19 series give some indication of first destinations at the level of broad discipline groups, and there has been some investigation of employers recruitment and deployment of science, technology and engineering graduates. 20 Existing literature on the motivations and perceptions of secondary school pupils and students towards Chemical Sciences was reviewed relatively recently 21, but most relevant recent research on career outcomes and graduate employment tends to be impressionistic rather than detailed; small scale, preliminary or reporting findings from particular universities or courses 22. This research has been undertaken as a targeted investigation of Chemistry as a distinct and diverse area of skills interrogating existing data and conducting a series of new investigations to throw light on the variables that influence the supply of, and demand for, Chemical Science skills. 1.2 Chemicals Science: defining the research population The first crucial question to be addressed was how to define Chemical Science. For the purposes of the study, we included everyone studying a subject coded under the HESA Joint Academic Coding System (JACS) as F100 to F190, and all students studying one of these subjects as part of a joint degree. Most notably, this definition does not include biochemistry or chemical engineering, which are classified as different subjects, but does include medicinal chemistry, which is not. Focusing solely on pure Chemistry courses with Chemistry as a single option would have provided an easily identifiable population, but although it includes most Chemistry undergraduates, interesting specialisms and options would be excluded: for example, work placement or other 4 year courses. Focusing only on pure chemistry single or joint option courses would have provided a more comprehensive picture, but would exclude popular subcategories such as medicinal and pharmaceutical chemists. We concluded that the terms of reference in the RSC specification could be met most satisfactorily by including all single and joint courses with a Chemistry component, which would include everything that is considered Chemical Science, including industrial placements, four 15 http://www.rsc.org/scienceandtechnology/policy/documents/recruitmentandretentionofwomen.asp 16 http://www.rsc.org/images/ethnic%20web_tcm18-53629.pdf 17 Factors Affecting the Career Choices of Graduate Chemists, http://www.rsc.org/scienceandtechnology/policy/documents/factorsaffecting.asp 18 http://www.prospects.ac.uk/links/wdgd 19 http://www.vitae.ac.uk/policy-practice/14769/what-do-phds-do.html 20 The Royal Society (2006), A degree of concern? UK First Degrees in Science, Technology and Mathematics, http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/document.asp?tip=0&id=5467 21 Jagger, N., (2004) The Right Chemistry, Brighton: Institute of Employment Studies Report to the RSC. http:/ /www.rsc.org/education/policy/rightchemistry2004.asp 22 For example, Souter, C. (2006) Employers Perceptions of Recruiting Research Staff and Students, http://careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/empress_lr.pdf, McCarthy, M. and J. Simm (2006) Survey of employer attitudes to postgraduate researchers, http://www.careers.dept.shef.ac.uk/pdf/employersurvey.pdf Dalgety, J., Coll and A. Jones (2003), Development of Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences Questionnaire (CAEQ) Journal of Research in Science and Teaching, Vol.40, Issue 7: 649-668: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgibin/abstract/104555251/abstract 3