Results day sees more STEM students
Big congrats to all the students who received their A Level, T Level or VTQ results last Thursday!
In today's issue of Manufacturing Monday we take a look at what the results show, why we think it's good news for manufacturers and evaluate the success of the first T Level cohort.
Plus, the cost of doing business crisis continues to worsen, with little relief on the horizon.
Happy Monday!
Results day
It was A Levels, T Levels and VTQs results day last Thursday. After years of disruption due to the pandemic, results day finally felt like how it did before, students receiving the results for exams sat earlier in the year.
While grades fluctuated across regions, subjects, and other boundaries, the overall proportion of A-Level grades is higher than pre-pandemic levels.
👍 The good news...
To put the spotlight on STEM subjects, Maths remains the most popular choice of A-Level. Additionally, the progression rate of students entering university to study STEM courses is higher than in 2019. This is great news for the manufacturing sector, as we are eager to welcome the next generation of talent into the industry.
👎 The not-so-great news...
With lots of data surfacing on Results Day, what has been highlighted by many is the underrepresentation of girls and women studying STEM subjects. - still! Only 2 in 10 Computing A-Level students were female. Additionally, boys represented an overwhelming 89% of digital T-Level students. The gender-gap between A-Level subjects is often discussed annually on Results Day, but it is still worth highlighting if we want to continue to address the issue throughout the sector.
Can T Levels be the silver bullet?
In England, Thursday was also Results Day for the first ever T-Level cohort, made up of 1029 students. While manufacturers are highly anticipating the introduction of manufacturing and engineering T-Levels from September this year, they will be pleased to note the 90% pass rate among digital T-Level students.
☑ Some manufacturers are already involved in this programme to help address the demand for these skills and the future of the industry.
For the first T-Level Results Day, pass-rate this year was high, with 92% of students achieving ‘Pass’ or above. According to UCAS, over one third of the T-Level cohort have been accepted onto a university course. This is 71% of the students who applied to university, highlighting the potential of T-Levels as a route to higher education, while also giving students the experience of the workplace.
With other students entering the workforce or beginning apprenticeships, this is a promising start for T-Levels. The work placement part of T-Level course has given these students a taste of industry and they will have a good idea of what to expect should they enter the sector.
👩🏭 94% of T-Level students experienced a work placement, which is a great proportion considering that the effects of the pandemic still linger.
But can they really help solve the chronic skills gap the sector face? We spoke to BBC Radio 4 and shared our thoughts 👇
Cost of doing business crisis
Later this week we are expecting to hear from Ofgem on the energy price cap. While households will be waiting with bated breath on how steep the increase is, a reminder that businesses do not have a cap. As a result, prices have soared and for nearly 1 in 8 it has now become business threatening.
That's why we continue to call for VAT to be removed off all business energy bills.
And it's not just energy prices soaring, inflation has hit 10.1%!
We 💚 policy and manufacturing, so let’s talk:
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Copy editor: Bhavina Bharkhada, Make UK Head of Policy & Campaigns