We explore the increasingly vital role that science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) play in delivering public services.
It’s easy to assume that government and public services rely on political brains and skilled negotiators to run smoothly, but that ignores one of the most vital components. STEM projects and the skilled professionals behind them play a crucial part in ensuring the NHS operates efficiently, that government organisations can improve how they serve citizens, and education providers can innovate how they teach and communicate.
On this year’s STEM Day, it’s worth thinking about how the UK’s national and local services have been transformed. From digitising patient records in the NHS decades ago to universities using ‘big data’ to match students to potential employers and future skills needs, STEM-related expertise is key to modernising the public sector. The pandemic shone a light on how vital these roles were to people’s day-to-day lives, and in turn raised the profile of STEM career paths within public service. In 2020, a survey by the Institute of Engineering and Technology revealed that more than half (52%) of 10 to 18-year-olds were now considering a career in science and technology after witnessing engineers build ventilators and convert buildings into emergency hospitals.
The role of technology and science
Technology and science already feature behind the scenes in many of the public sector services everyday citizens interact with, and this is only set to increase. At the highest level, data analytics help to support the policy decisions made by politicians, providing insights as to how effective a certain piece of legislation might be. Artificial intelligence has a huge impact on how people use healthcare services; it can be used for a range of tasks from predicting A&E department volumes so hospitals can get staffing right to automating the interpretation of patient scans. The UK was also the first country in the world to roll out a free Covid vaccine to citizens.
We see the benefits of STEM in how people interact with public services as individuals. If someone wants to book a flu vaccination this winter, technology connects to a huge national database that can find an appointment at a pharmacy a few hundred metres away. “Technology creates the interface between me as an individual and a service,” explains Niel McLean, Head of Education at BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. “We have the economies of scale of a national service but it’s differentiated locally.” The same applies to education, he adds, where digital advances mean teachers can offer ever more personalised learning to students and deliver online lessons when they need to stay at home.
A study by the Institute for Government looking at the evolution of public services highlights a number of projects where IT has delivered huge benefits. The Department for Education has used data visualisation to analyse patterns of underinvestment in schools, for example, while the Met Office has used a virtual reality training system to train up meteorologists. Project NELSON, a Ministry of Defence IT project, builds rapid decision-making capacity into warships. In years to come, more sophisticated systems will link up public services so they can deliver even better outcomes, adds McLean. “Looking at the link between education data and child protection could mean someone intervenes at the right time, for example, or help understand why health outcomes are poor in coastal areas,” he suggests.
The pipeline of future STEM stars
If we are to reach that point, however, STEM teams need a strong pipeline of new talent into the public sector. And while more young people are studying STEM subjects, this is not necessarily translating into pursuing a career in this area. According to an analysis of 2022 exam statistics by technology company OKdo, the number of pupils sitting GCSEs in Computing or Computer Science has risen by 383% since these exams began in 2014. Applications for degree courses are also up by 17% compared to 2020. Over the same period, however, vacancies in computer science roles went up by 91%, so skills supply is just not meeting demand.
Agata Nowakowska, Area Vice President EMEA at learning software company Skillsoft, argues that the UK’s economic future is contingent on closing this skills gap, so organisations need to equip young people with the STEM skills desperately needed in the public sector. “Schools should encourage young people to pursue STEM subjects throughout their academic life, providing opportunities to build websites and learn to code or use robotic toys,” she says. Businesses also have a role to play through initiatives such as mentorship, training programmes and outreach with local schools, she adds. “Finally, more organisations should look beyond traditional hiring requirements and consider ‘STAR’ candidates – workers who are 'Skilled Through Alternative Routes'. With demand for digital-native talent at a premium and the very nature of job roles evolving fast, apprenticeships can help bridge the gap, both for the skills needed within the sector today and looking ahead to the future,” Nowakowska explains.
Ultimately, building the skills pipeline for STEM within public services must hinge on more than technical qualifications. “We see what happens when an algorithm goes wrong; we need people to not only be competent but also ethical and accountable,” adds McLean. Reputationally, there can be so much more at stake in the public sector. Unlike private sector companies that can take risks and make mistakes, public sector organisations will always be under more scrutiny to get things right first time, as their budgets come from the public purse. On the flipside, however, the teams that are pushing through new innovations in education, healthcare and government can boast a different sort of job satisfaction to many in the private sector – knowing that every day they play a small part in making things easier, quicker, better and safer for the people they serve.
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