Meeting industry's need for chemistry graduates
In addition to the falling number of chemical science graduates, the demand from outside the chemical science sector is rising. Chemistry is becoming more interdisciplinary and chemists are increasingly being sought after by other areas of industry. The pressure is on to maintain the output from UK chemistry departments and continue the supply of appropriately skilled chemistry graduates for UK employment.
The pharmaceutical sector
The first part of the RSC study, Future demand for chemists by UK industry, focused on the demand from the pharmaceutical sector. This is the largest chemicals sector in the UK, employing 16 percent of first degree and doctoral chemistry graduates entering full time employment, in both chemistry and general roles.
Data on the first employment destinations of graduates came from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Several major employers in the pharmaceutical sector provided their own recruitment data for analysis.
Where do chemistry graduates go?
HESA collects information on the first destinations of leavers from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) six months after graduation. Their survey response rate is about 80 percent of the target population. The study looked at a combined data set from 1996/97-2001/02.
A total of 2220 doctoral and 6390 first degree chemistry graduates indicated that they had entered full time employment during that period, which represents about 35 percent of graduating chemistry students (the rest will continue to further study or training, are not employed or have not provided information).
Of those in full time employment, roughly 50 percent are employed in a job or a sector closely related to chemistry. This is a key finding and shows how crucial UK chemistry students are to industry.
Approximately 10 percent of first degree and doctoral chemistry graduates entering full time employment go on to be chemists in the pharmaceutical sector. The numbers of first degree graduates entering the pharmaceutical sector as chemists is two to three times higher than that for doctoral graduates.
Looking at the yearly recruitment figures it is also interesting to note that the numbers of first degree graduates entering the pharmaceutical industry has remained steady despite mergers, recruitment freezes and the number of first degree chemistry graduates falling over that period.
Pharmaceutical recruitment
The pharmaceutical sector recruitment data to which the RSC was given access covers 1999 to 2004. Figure 1 illustrates this data. Overall pharmaceutical sector recruitment has remained fairly steady during this period.
The recruitment of doctoral graduates shows considerable variation year on year which is consistent with HESA data findings. Conversely the recruitment of first degree graduates is more consistent. This indicates a recruitment pattern where PhDs are taken on for specific roles whilst first degree chemists are recruited to keep a consistent head count.
Supply and demand
Figure 2 compares the HESA data for graduates entering the pharmaceutical sector to the recruitment data obtained by the RSC from the large pharmaceutical companies themselves. It is apparent that the largest companies within the sector recruit over half the total graduates entering the UK pharmaceutical sector.
Any changes in the fortunes of these companies has the capacity to affect the overall recruitment of UK chemists. Reversley, any downward change in the number of chemistry graduates may cause recruitment issues for the pharmaceutical sector and may force them to increase overseas recruitment.
Major employers were approached to comment on whether their company’s demand for trained chemists over the next 10 years would increase, decrease or remain the same. Based on the information they gave, the steady recruitment shown over the last 8 years is predicted to continue for at least the next 5 years.
If there was a major change within these large companies it would be likely to affect the overall recruitment of chemists in the UK, although predicting this sort of change over a longer time scale is difficult.
New types of enterprise
While we do not have data, it seems likely that, given the recent increase in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), biotechnology companies and other start-ups in the pharmaceutical sector, overall demand for chemists at both graduate and PhD level will increase in the next 10 years.
If true, and with no decrease in demand from pharmaceutical companies, there are questions to be asked regarding the funding of UK university chemistry departments and their ability to supply a sufficient number of skilled chemistry graduates for future industry needs.
Expanding the study
The RSC now intends to expand the study to include a more in-depth analysis of data obtained from the Higher Education Statistics Agency and a wider analysis of the chemicals sector outside pharmaceuticals.
The findings from this small scale study are part of a wider message to the Government and UK universities. Our education system must take into account the needs of UK industry – and in particular its need for skilled chemists.
UK universities and the graduates and doctorates they produce must be able to sustain UK industry in the future. If UK-based industry’s demand for chemistry graduates is not met by UK universities, they may be tempted to look elsewhere.
