Chemistry: the ultimate facilitating subject?

I am writing this blog in the middle of the autumn term, by far the busiest. It is also the prime season for open evenings, when we sell our wares to prospective A-level students, setting out our stall for why chemistry is the ideal subject choice. In doing this we present many statistics about potential careers, employability and future earnings.

Chemistry is listed on every published table of ‘facilitating subjects’, those subjects deemed to be most valuable as far as entry to higher education is concerned. Though it is nice to bask in the reflected glory of the prestige our subject attracts, it is sometimes useful to reflect on why chemistry is so valued, and how we can make sure it continues to be valued. 

So what is the value of chemistry, and does it have naything to do with the percieved difficulty of the subject?