New era of girls with excessive tech abilities essential to Britain changing into science superpower

A new generation of women with high tech skills will be crucial to Britain becoming a global science superpower, experts have said.

A survey by the Society of Chemical Industry – a 123-year-old science charity – found nearly 60% of Small and Medium-sized businesses found it easier to recruit women with skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) than it was a decade ago.

At the same time there has been a skills crisis in STEM recruitment – with 49% saying it’s difficult to recruit anyone with the right skills, with only 17% saying it was easy.

And almost half (48%) said the current visa system was “ineffective”.

Society of Chemical Industry chief executive Sharon Todd said: “Finally, the gender balance in science is improving – and at great speed.

“This is well overdue and important at a time when a flawed visa regime is restricting the UK’s access to the global skills base. It’s clear that a new generation of STEM-skilled women will be crucial to the UK’s ambition of becoming a global science superpower.”