Government announces £188m funding to support STEM careers

The government has announced that it is investing nearly £200m into STEM careers in the UK.

The funding, which totals £187.9m, was announced by business secretary Alok Sharma, and will go towards encouraging more science, technology, engineering and maths careers.

£179m of the funding will be allocated to PhDs to develop research and technical skills, with a further £8.9m going towards science education programs.

In today’s announcement, the government stressed the importance of encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM subjects - ahead of International Women’s Day this Sunday.

Business secretary Alok Sharma commented: “From Ada Lovelace to Stephen Hawking, our scientists and the discoveries they have made have pushed the boundaries, improving our healthcare and transforming the way we live, work and travel.

“Today’s funding will support the talented people we have in this country to study these vital subjects, develop technologies for the future and support the UK’s status as a science superpower.”

Education secretary Gavin Williamson added: “Making sure that the next generation has the scientific skills to meet the world’s needs – from developing green technologies to curing illnesses – couldn’t be more important.

“That’s why we continue to invest in science programmes in our schools and ensure that anyone, regardless of their background, can participate.

“Girls now make up just over half of A level entries for the three core science subjects but there is more we can do so we will fund research to better understand how we can improve girls’ physics A level participation.”