Minister admits “urgent” need for science and technology workforce to be more diverse

There is an “urgent” need to change the diversity of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforces that are currently highly unrepresentative of some parts of the population, MPs have been told.

In an evidence session for the Commons Science and Technology Committee’s inquiry into diversity and inclusion in STEM on 15 June, science and research minister George Freeman said that he wanted to see changes.

MPs on the committee said that participation in STEM by people from more deprived and disadvantaged backgrounds and from some ethnic minority backgrounds and by women and girls was “not what it could be” and has persisted at a low level for many years.

Freeman replied, “I absolutely recognise that picture and the urgency of …