BCS signs Diversity, Equality & Inclusion declaration

BCS, The Chartered Institute of IT, has signed up to the Science Council's Declaration on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion which brings toether a number of professional bodies from across science to work towards increased diversity and inclusion within the workforce. With black and minority ethnic (BME) men 28% less likely to work in STEM than their white counterparts, disabled students 57% less likely to take up postgraduate STEM study than non-disabled students, and a gap of 26% between women and men in SET employment, it is apparent where the skills drain can be stemmed.

Global health needs, an ageing population, food and water security and achieving low carbon economies are all driving up demand for STEM skills. By 2030 the number of people in science-based roles will have grown from 5.8 million to 7.1 million, accounting for a fifth of the UK workforce. This equates to a shortfall of 40,000 skilled people every year. Increasing the diversity of the science workforce at all levels is key to solving this issue and strengthening the sector.

“The influence and potential leadership of professional bodies means they are critical effectors of change within the science community,” said Tom Blundell, President of the Science Council, “by signing the Declaration they are showing that they will use that influence to ensure the science workforce is open to everyone.”

The Diversity, Equality and Inclusion project is being led by a Strategy group chaired by James Smith (Chair of the Carbon Trust, Chair of Advisory Board for the Association for Black Engineers in the UK, Former Chairman of Shell UK). The project aims to raise the profile of the importance of diversity as an issue of concern for professional bodies, and to provide leadership within the sector to increase commitment and investment.

References

Current and Future UK science workforce, Science Council, 2011
Improving Diversity in STEM, CaSE, 2014
Women and men in science, engineering and technology: the UK statistics guide 2010, UKRC, 2010