The Royal Society of Chemistry confirmed that application to chemistry courses UK decreased by twenty-one percent (21%) from 2015 to 2018. This happened in spite of a rise in students undertaking A-level chemistry.
This worrying trend in the United Kingdom (UK) has been alarming to the extent business leaders have raised considerable concerns. They have asserted that homegrown expertise is required to propel the chemistry sector in the UK valued at more than fifty billion pounds (£50B) annually.
Decreasing chemistry courses UK entrants worries companies
Various UK companies are perturbed by the trend at which UK students are shunning chemistry degrees as this jeopardizes the future of the chemistry industry.
As a result, several firms, such as chemicals group BASF and AstraZeneca a drug maker, have sent an open letter to the UK government to address this problem urgently.
The letter stipulates that the UK administration should come up with strategies to entice students and school leavers to undertake chemistry careers.
Expressly, the issue at hand is of considerable concern to various areas deemed fundamental to the nation’s economy. For instance, chemistry expertise is crucial in ensuring that transport is decarbonized, as well as coming up with amicable remedies of climate change.
UK A-level students should be encouraged
According to Daniele Gibney, the Royal Society of Chemistry’s education policy manager, A-level students might not be in a position to comprehend the diverse opportunities rendered by chemistry at a time they are undertaking fundamental career choices.
He asserted that the declining entrants to chemistry courses UK may have been caused by the UK’s inability to present considerable career advice. Students of chemistry courses should be guided in carrying out informed decisions about their future career aspirations and education.
Chemistry is vital in modern society, and various UK stakeholders have acknowledged this reality as they seek to address the decreasing number of UK students undertaking this subject at the university level.
For instance, Gibney noted that improving support for chemistry courses UK is crucial in dealing with urgent global challenges, such as antibiotic resistance and pollution.
As a result, chemistry should be embraced by young people as they will be provided with the opportunity to influence the universe fundamentally and meaningfully.
Chemistry is crucial in eradicating some of the problems witnessed in the present age. For instance, a recent chemistry breakthrough revealed that breast cancer cells could be turned into fat cells.