Report on equity in STEM inquiry published

AN INQUIRY into equity in the STEM workforce has published its report – and makes three recommendations about improving diversity and inclusion.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM launched its Inquiry into Equity in the STEM Workforce in order to detail the experiences of minoritised STEM workers and to look at the positive initiatives being undertaken.

The report makes three recommendations:

• The UK Government and STEM organisations, across the private, public and voluntary sectors should commit to leading a ‘STEM Diversity Decade of Action’
• The UK Government must deliver a statutory workforce data strategy and drive forward changes in policy and legislation to support employers to improve equity for minoritised communities in many sectors of the UK workforce, including STEM
• The UK Government and STEM organisations must look to address and reverse worsening inequity within the STEM workforce as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine was one of more than 85 organisations and individuals to submit evidence to the APPG inquiry, which found inequity in the STEM workforce is widespread for those from minoritised groups.

IPEM made two recommendations in its submission, stating the starting point had to be reducing inequalities throughout the education system, starting at primary school level, and the selection processes for attracting applicants into healthcare science need to be evaluated.