Could Major Tim Peake's historic spacewalk today help address the UK’s STEM skills gap?

Britain is facing a skills crisis in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) subjects, with potentially harmful consequences for the economy.

Reports indicate that Britain is facing a shortfall of 40,000 workers with the science and maths skills needed to perform the jobs the economy needs.

The UK sits in 20th place on the OECD’s global rankings for maths and science, and research from The Institute for Public Policy Research and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills predicts that we will need 1.1 million additional STEM graduates in the next 10 years. 

Angus Horner, a director of Harwell Campus, the UK’s space gateway, believes that the mission to the International Space Station currently being undertaken by Britain’s Major Tim Peake could provide a golden opportunity to address this skills gap.

Peake will conduct a series of experiments—the Principia mission—during his time in space as part of a teaching program largely developed by the European Space Agency and the UK Space Agency for the science curricula of UK schoolchildren aged 11 to 19.

Many young people in the UK reject science and maths subjects just after their GCSEs because they view them as difficult or inaccessible. Through Principia, Peake may have the toolkit to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

In his article on whether higher levels of education and skills in an area benefit wider society, John V. Winters notes that “STEM graduates appear to create especially large human capital externalities, perhaps because of their role in innovation, which contributes to the creation of more and better jobs.” He concludes that “policies that increase the numbers of college graduates, particularly STEM graduates…are likely to strongly benefit other workers in the same local labor markets.” He recommends “improving primary and secondary math and science education, perhaps by devoting more instructional time and more resources to these areas.”

If Major Peake’s mission can inspire the UK’s younger generation, then everyone may benefit.

Related articles:
Do higher levels of education and skills in an area benefit wider society?, by John V. Winters

Read more IZA World of Labor articles on Education and human capital