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bp’s commitment to STEM education

The future needs a steady stream of talented people with a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) who will continue to drive progress and innovation and will solve the challenges that humanity will face in the years to come
Inspiring the next generation

Having enough people who are skilled in STEM is vital to the economic prosperity of countries like the UK, but there is a skills gap. According to research, 70% of school children say they like science and maths, but less than a fifth think it is “for them.” Persuading young people to pursue a career in STEM-related subjects is still a challenge. Consequently, the UK faces a chronic shortage of talented graduates and technicians in the area of STEM, which could leave the country ill-equipped with the skills it needs to meet future plans for growth.

Addressing the gap in STEM is particularly important in the energy industry. Meeting the world’s energy demand is increasingly challenging; the industry needs bright people with a strong foundation in STEM subjects to be the geologists, drilling engineers, chemists and analysts of the future.

 

The UK faces a chronic shortage of talented graduates in the area of STEM, which could leave the country ill-equipped with the skills it needs to meet future plans for growth
For 50 years, bp has been working to address the STEM skills gap through targeted investment at all levels of education. Our early STEM initiatives began as a teaching resource that has since grown into a comprehensive programme contributing to every stage of education, including early years, primary, secondary, tertiary and vocational.

bp invests consistently in STEM-related educational activities in the UK and estimates its resources have reached an estimated 2.8 million UK students over the past five years.