WIREDGOV

The future of science and other key vulnerable subjects, which have seen declines in the past in the number of students, is now far healthier than it was three years ago, Professor David Eastwood, Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, said today (21 October).

Launching a report on the Council’s approach to strategically important and vulnerable subjects (see notes 1 and 2), Professor Eastwood said that although it was early days there were significant signs that HEFCE’s £350 million programme was making a major contribution to reversing the decline. The number of students studying subjects such as chemistry, physics and mathematics (see notes 3 and 4) was showing welcome signs of growth.

He said: ‘Our six-year programme is based on partnerships. Working with universities, schools, learned societies and the Government we have made a series of strategic investments which are now bearing fruit. The programme involves building capacity and raising demand.

‘As the various strands take effect and become embedded in the work of universities and schools, we can expect the momentum to increase. There is much more work to be done, but the future of these subjects looks much healthier than it did when our programme began three years ago.

‘On the demand side, we are now looking to bring the lessons learned from the various pilot initiatives in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (see note 8) into one general programme. This will raise still further the aspirations of large numbers of young people and people in work. The next stage of the national programme will also focus on developing higher level skills in these subjects amongst adults in the workplace.’

The report, which was prepared by an advisory group chaired by Professor Sir Brian Follett, concluded that HEFCE’s programme of support for key vulnerable subjects was appropriate and proportionate. HEFCE’s investments were being delivered in a professional and thorough manner, and were gaining much greater leverage through partnerships with other agencies.

The programme (running from 2005-06 to 2010-11) includes:

· investing £15 million in pilot projects over four years to generate interest in chemistry, physics, mathematics and engineering among young people, and to enhance the accessibility of HE courses in these subjects (see note 8). These pilot projects will be integrated into a national programme which will run from 2009-2012, with a potential investment of £20 million

· providing an additional £100 million to sustain very high-cost and vulnerable science provision while this demand-raising activity takes effect

· working with Research Councils UK to enhance national research capability in strategically important and vulnerable areas of science, social science and languages

·  investing with Regional Development Agencies to enhance science capability in places where there are concerns about the vulnerability of specific provision.

John Denham, Secretary of State for Universities, Innovation and Skills, said: ‘It is very encouraging to see that we have made good progress in encouraging more students to study challenging subjects such as physics, chemistry and maths.

These students can be confident that their choice of degree is the right one. Recent OECD research confirms that the UK continues to perform better than several of our key international competitors, including the US and Japan, in employment rates for science graduates aged 25-34.

‘But we remain committed to improving participation and attainment in STEM subjects even further. That is why, for example, this Government has invested in over 20,000 Science and Engineering Ambassadors who act as positive role models to enthuse the next generation of scientists and engineers, reaching well over one million school children to date.’

HEFCE has accepted the advice of the advisory group that it should integrate its activities on key vulnerable subjects with its programme of work on employer engagement and enhancing higher level skills in the workplace. HEFCE has also agreed with the group’s advice that land-based studies should no longer be considered vulnerable, following a review chaired by Professor Maggie Gill.

In line with a recommendation in Lord Sainsbury’s 2007 review of Science and Innovation, there will be a new HEFCE advisory group to be chaired by Peter Saraga, former Managing Director of the Phillips Research Laboratories, with a remit to consider graduate supply and demand in relation to vulnerable disciplines. Research will be undertaken into salaries and other measures of graduate demand, which will complement information produced by Sector Skills Councils and others. A further review of the policy framework will be carried out in 2011.

For further information, contact: Philip Walker, tel. 07795 257263, e-mail p.walker@hefce.ac.uk or Roger Grinyer, tel 0117 931 7307, e-mail r.grinyer@hefce.ac.uk

Notes

1. ‘Strategically important and vulnerable subjects: Final report of the 2008 advisory group’, HEFCE 2008/38.

2.   The following subjects are regarded as strategically important and vulnerable: science, technology, engineering and mathematics <http://www.hefce.ac.uk/aboutus/sis/stem.htm> ; area studies and related minority languages <http://www.hefce.ac.uk/aboutus/sis/area.htm> ; quantitative social science <http://www.hefce.ac.uk/aboutus/sis/socialsci> ; modern foreign languages <http://www.hefce.ac.uk/aboutus/sis/mfl/> .

3.  The latest figures from UCAS show that in 2008-09 universities’ acceptances of students in mathematics have risen by 8.1 per cent from 2007-08. Chemistry was up by 4.4 per cent, and physics by 3.3 per cent. These increases build upon those seen between 2005-06 and 2007-08 when acceptances in mathematics increased by 12.4 per cent, chemistry by 12.1 per cent and physics by 10.3 per cent. While universities’ engineering acceptances fell by 0.8 per cent between 2005-06 and 2007-08, they have increased this year by 6.4 per cent.

4.  Between 2005-06 and 2007-08 mathematics A-level entries rose by 15.7 per cent, while further maths was up by 29.5 per cent. Entries for chemistry were up by 5.3 per cent and physics by 4.4 per cent.

5.  HEFCE reconvened its Strategically Important Subjects Advisory Group in May 2007. The group, chaired by Professor Sir Brian Follett, reviewed the policy towards supporting strategically important and vulnerable subjects and evaluated the programme of work. The group agreed that it should be the Government’s role to designate subjects as being strategically important, and HEFCE’s role to consider whether such subjects are vulnerable and if interventions are necessary.

6.  Over the seven years 2005-06 to 2011-12 HEFCE will have committed in excess of £350 million, over and above core funding for teaching and research, in support of strategically important and vulnerable subjects (SIVS). This includes:

· £100 million to support very high cost and vulnerable science

· £29 million for additional student numbers (to date) for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects

· £76 million for demand-raising and capacity-building work in STEM

· £36 million support for languages

· £2 million for land-based studies

· £4 million to enhance quantitative social science

· £2 million to support the Open University in delivering SIVS through partner higher education institutions

· £96 million to support SIVS arising from the removal of funding for students wishing to study equivalent and lower qualifications.

7.  A detailed breakdown of this funding is available at http://www.hefce.ac.uk under About us/Strategically important subjects/Letter and report to Secretary of State.

8.  The following STEM initiatives have been funded by HEFCE:

* the Royal Academy of Engineering and its partners were awarded £4.4 million by HEFCE to develop a pilot initiative known as the London Engineering project <http://www.raeng.org.uk/> . It is enabling South London youngsters in schools to experience hands-on STEM activities and encourage them to go on to study engineering. Contact: Jane Sutton, 020 7766 0636, jane.sutton@raeng.org.uk

*       the Institute of Physics has been awarded £2.9 million by HEFCE for the Stimulating Physics project <http://www.iop.org/> , which aims to widen and increase participation in physics-based courses in higher education. Contact: Joseph Winters, 020 7470 4815, joseph.winters@iop.org

*       a consortium of mathematical societies <http://www.moremathsgrads.org.uk/>  and other partners have been awarded £3.3 million over three years to widen participation in mathematics among learner groups that have not previously been well-represented in higher education. Contact: Caroline Davis, 020 7927 0804, davis@lms.ac.uk

*       the Royal Society of Chemistry has been awarded £5.25 million for the Chemistry for our Future project <http://www.rsc.org/Education/ChemistryForOurFuture/> . This aims to ensure that there is a wide and sustainable chemistry community across England, attracting students from all backgrounds. Contact: Brian Emsley, 0207 440 3317, EmsleyB@rsc.org

·  the UK Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies (LLAS), in partnership with the University Council of Modern Languages (UCML) and CILT, the National Centre for Languages, are leading a programme called Routes into Languages. The £4.5 million programme will encourage the take-up of language courses in England and enthuse people about studying languages. through regional networks involving higher education institutions working with schools and colleges. Contact: Heather McGuinness, 023 8059 9603, h.mcguinness@soton.ac.uk