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Strong A-level turnout for Stem subjects, figures show

31/08/2010 Strong A-level turnout for Stem subjects...A-level entries for STEM subjects showed a strong increase this year, providing a positive boost for the industry.
 
There was a strong increase in the number of young people taking A-levels in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects this year, figures show.
 
Pupils received their A-level results last Thursday (August 19th), the 28th year in a row when the pass rate has increased.
 
End of 'skills gap' fears? 
There was a 5.3 per cent increase in the number of pupils who studied biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics compared to last year and a rise in the number of females taking these subjects.
 
The news comes as energy suppliers have feared a skills gap in science and engineering, calling for more young people to pursue the career.
 
Imran Khan, director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering, commented: "Two-thirds of all employers report difficulties in recruiting enough workers with science, technology, engineering and maths skills, so this is great news for the economy as well as for pupils."
 
Gender gap 
However, Mr Khan noted: "The one cause for concern is that although the number of girls taking science and maths at A-level has increased, the number of boys doing so is increasing even faster – so the gender gap isn't narrowing."
 
His concerns are echoed by TIGA, the body representing the games industry, which noted that less than ten per cent of computing A-level entrants were female.
 
Richard Wilson, chief executive of TIGA, fears that the under-representation of women in computing "limits the potential supply of skilled computer scientists available for work in the games industry".
 
A* grades
This was the first year that pupils were awarded A* if they achieved more than 90 per cent in their paper.  Across all A-levels, 8.1 per cent were given an A*.  Encouragingly, this level rose for STEM subjects, with 9.2 per cent of chemistry students, 10.3 per cent of physics pupils and 17.2 per cent of maths students getting the top grade.
 
However, while fewer girls took physics this year than boys - although both sexes increased in their numbers - female physicists received more A* grades (11.6 per cent compared to ten per cent for boys).
 
"Science and engineering are fields which intellectually benefit from a diversity of views and backgrounds, so it's vital that they are seen as subjects which everyone, regardless of background, can take part in," Mr Khan commented.
 
Learn from an early age
Educational charity EDT has suggested that more people could choose to take an A-level in a STEM subject if they are informed from an early age - before they take GCSEs - about the careers it can bring.
 
This week thousands of young people will receive their GCSE results and it may interest people in the science and technology profession to see if the UK is in danger of a skills gap or if an interest in science careers has been revived.
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