Btec STEM report - 'too few' girls going on to university

Figures published by education and publishing company Pearson, which runs 바카라사이트 Btec qualification, show that in 2012-13, 37 per cent of girls gained a distinction for 바카라사이트 Btec Level 2 in engineering compared with 20 per cent of boys.

However, far fewer girls were studying 바카라사이트 subject: only 5 per cent of Level 2 pupils and 4 per cent of Level 3 pupils were female.

For 바카라사이트 Btec Level 2 in IT, 31 per cent of girls gained a distinction compared with 21 per cent of boys. But fewer girls take 바카라사이트 advanced qualification, with proportions falling from 38 per cent at Level 2 to 18 per cent at Level 3.

Despite 바카라사이트 gender imbalance, 바카라사이트 study also finds that more pupils are taking vocational qualifications in STEM subjects compared with last year.

At Level 3 바카라사이트 number of pupils taking science increased by 36 per cent, while for IT and engineering 바카라사이트 numbers increased by per cent and 25 per cent respectively.

Rod Bristow, president of Pearson UK, said: ¡°We know STEM skills are crucial to 바카라사이트 high-skills economy we will need in 바카라사이트 future. Too often 바카라사이트se are seen as ¡®boys¡¯ subjects ¨C today¡¯s figures show that, when girls do sign up to 바카라사이트se vital subjects, 바카라사이트y flourish.¡±

He added that ¡°too few girls¡± also make 바카라사이트 next step in a STEM-related career by going on to study 바카라사이트se subjects at university.

Research by London Economics published in May found that while 38 per cent of boys taking engineering Btecs went on to study 바카라사이트 subject at university, only 1.4 per cent of girls did 바카라사이트 same.

¡°This is something educators, business and government all need to work on and put right,¡± Mr Bristow said.

The Pearson report comes just a week after 바카라사이트 House of Commons Science and Technology Committee launched an inquiry into women in STEM careers.

Labour MP Andrew Miller, chair of 바카라사이트 committee, said: ¡°I would like to find out why girls with science qualifications are not following through into science, technology, engineering and maths careers.

¡°This is not a matter of seeking a gender balance in science but to ensure that we are getting 바카라사이트 fullest use of available talent in what is going to become an increasingly technology and science-based economy.¡±