Accenture Finds Girls’ Take-up of STEM Subjects is Held Back by Stereotypes, Negative Perceptions and Poor Understanding of Career Options

LONDON; February 7, 2017 – New research from Accenture (NYSE: ACN) reveals that young people in the United Kingdom and Ireland are most likely to associate a career in science and technology with ‘doing research’ (52 percent),‘working in a laboratory’ (47 percent) and ‘wearing a white coat’ (33 percent). The study found that girls are more likely to make these stereotypical associations than boys.

The survey results are published as Accenture and Stemettes prepare to host their annual ‘Girls in STEM’ events across the United Kingdom, designed to ignite girls’ interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and expose them to the variety of STEM-based careers available. Over 2,000 girls aged 11-13 are expected to participate in the events, which will take place in London, Manchester, Newcastle and Edinburgh.

Accenture’s survey of more than 8,500 young people, parents and teachers uncovered some of the barriers to girls pursuing STEM subjects and careers. It found that over a third of young people overall (36 percent) are put off studying STEM because they are unclear about what careers these subjects support. More than half of parents (51%) and 43% of teachers agreed that students lack understanding about career options related to STEM.

The research also found evidence of gender stereotyping and bias around STEM subjects. Almost a third (32%) of young people think that more boys choose STEM subjects than girls because they match ‘male’ careers or jobs. The perception that STEM subjects are for boys only is the primary reason that teachers believe few girls take up these subjects at school. Furthermore, more than half of both parents (52%) and teachers (57%) admit to having themselves made subconscious stereotypes about girls and boys in relation to STEM, and over half (54%) of teachers claim to have seen girls dropping STEM subjects at school due to pressure from parents.

The survey reveals a disparity between girls’ and boys’ perceptions of STEM subjects, with girls more likely to view them as ‘academic’ and ‘boring’. The findings also point to a significant dip in girls’ enjoyment of traditional STEM subjects such as Mathematics and Computer Science as they enter secondary school. Among the 7-11 age group, 50% of girls describe these subjects as fun and enjoyable, but this drops to 31% and 36% respectively in the 11-14 age group.

“Girls’ engagement with STEM is clearly waning as they reach the age when they begin to consider their subject choices and future careers,” said Emma McGuigan, senior managing director for Accenture Technology in the UK & Ireland. “We have to address this by doing more to spark and retain girls’ interest in STEM at an early age, while expanding perceptions and demonstrating what a career or a person who works in STEM looks like beyond the traditional stereotypes. Inspiring more girls to pursue STEM subjects and careers will not only help us to address the skills gap in science and technology, it will also help us to create a more diverse workforce that truly represents the world we live in.”

The UK ‘Girls in STEM’ events hosted by Accenture and Stemettes will feature a series of inspiring talks and interactive workshops, and will be mirrored across the globe in Accenture office locations in France, India and the US. In the UK, hundreds of girls will join the event attendees from their school classrooms via live video streams using Periscope.

“The STEM talent pool is an important source of recruitment for Accenture as we strive to attract those bright, passionate individuals who can help our clients succeed in the digital economy,” said Olly Benzecry, chairman and managing director for Accenture in the UK and Ireland. “We are committed to working with government and the education sector to boost girls’ interest in science and technology. Our Girls in STEM events showcase some of the exciting and transformative applications of STEM, with the aim of encouraging more young people to pursue the high-skilled jobs of the future.”

“These findings show the scope of work there is still to do”, said Anne-Marie Imafidon, CEO at Stemettes. “Our collaboration with fantastic companies like Accenture allows us to share the right messages to positively impact these young women across geographies. We’ll also be handling the follow-up to ensure these girls reach their potential despite wider attitudes.”

The UK events will feature speakers including Dr Raeanne Miller, one of only 78 women globally to be selected for an Antarctica expedition, and Sheila Kanani, education, outreach & diversity officer at the Royal Astronomical Society. The girls will also participate in coding sessions led by Stemettes, using AppShed’s Internet of Things technology to create apps with the ability to control electronic devices anywhere in the world. Attendees will also take part in a Hammerhead virtual reality (VR) workshop where they will hear from some of the creators behind VR games before getting the opportunity to pitch their own VR ideas to industry experts. Other sessions cover 3D printing, a cyber security system building activity and a forensic outreach workshop in which the girls will explore science and strategies used in crime scene investigations.

Methodology
Commissioned by Accenture and conducted by Loudhouse, a specialist research division of the Octopus Group, the online research covered a total of 8,644 people in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, including 2,793 boys and 2,667 girls at Key Stage 2 (7-11), Key Stage 3 (11-14) and Key Stage 4 school age (14-16). The survey also covered 909 young men and 875 young women (17-23), beyond GCSE education. In addition, samples of 1000 parents and 400 teachers were taken to determine the influencing factors for boys and girls in their school subject choices and perceptions of various subjects and careers. The survey was conducted in December 2016.

About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions – underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With approximately 394,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.