Employers

The chemistry-using workforce is a significant contributor to the UK economy, the exchequer and to employment.

There are estimated to have been 275,000 chemistry- using jobs in the UK in 2019, with a further 425,000 jobs supported by this workforce throughout the UK economy.

The contribution (direct, indirect and induced) of chemistry-using professionals to UK GDP was estimated to be £87 billion in 2019.

The chemistry-using workforce has vast and varied knowledge, skills and abilities which they apply in a wide variety of roles throughout the economy. 

As chemical science employers you have a crucial role to play in encouraging young people to consider a career in chemistry. Just talking positively about your professional life and what you do could be enough to inspire some young people to explore a career in chemical science.

If you are interested in doing more either as an individual or as an organisation there are some excellent resources and organisations that can help. The Royal Society of Chemistry has produced a guide with case studies from chemical science employers who offer experiences of workplaces.

Virtual work experiences

Online encounters and experiences that take place between students and employers are happening more  due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while face-to-face contact is not possible. This approach helps young people find out about industries and careers that may not otherwise be accessible due to geography, health and safety concerns, and other practical and accessibility barriers. It can also teach young people about digital skills, teamwork and communication in an online environment.

But it is much harder to give the hands-on-experience and works best for project work that would not require lab-testing equipment.

Our top tips

• Set up an online induction for young people to meet different team members.
• Ensure there is two-way interaction between students and employees
• Provide online training modules
• Set a task or targetted project work relevant to your workplace
• Provide feedback on how actively the student participated. Feedback on any task or piece of project work that was set.

Other resources for employers

• Apprenticeships
• T-Levels - Employer Support for Industry Placements website from SDN on behalf of the DfE
• Careers & Enterprise Company links schools and colleges to employers in ways that scale from a one-off 1 hour to providing work experience regularly.
• Education and Employers | Inspiring the Future
• Not just making tea…Reinventing work experience guidance from the government guidance on structuring work experience placements.
• Learning in lockdown engineering-based company offering a week-long work experience programme