Infographic references

Notebook open with a pen laying on top

Infographic dashboards

Engineering and technology workforce

Transition to net zero

Women in engineering

Diversity

Knowledge and perceptions

Young people

Teachers

  • Teachers are equally likely to recommend an apprenticeship or university route (36%), another technical/vocational route (4%) School report
  • 53% feel confident advising their students of vocational and technical pathways into engineering School report
  • 85% of STEM teachers recommend a career in engineering School report
  • 92% said engineering is important or very important in the UK achieving net zero by 2050 School report
  • 76% delivering Big Bang at School said it made them more confident to speak to students about STEM careers Big Bang at School evaluation
  • 82% said it motivated them to suggest STEM careers to students Big Bang at School evaluation

STEM in school

  • Interest in school science among years 7 to 9 has declined from 76% to 71%. For girls, the decline is 75% to 65% Science Education Tracker 2023
  • Year 7 to 9 students are less confident in their abilities compared to 2019 Science Education Tracker 2023
    • 49% think they are good at science, down from 56%
    • 43% think they are good at computing, down from 50%
  • 8 in 10 STEM teachers have delivered STEM outreach in the last year School report
  • Barriers to delivering more STEM outreach: 52% Funding, 49% Time School report
  • Main motivations for years 7 to 9 studying science Science Education Tracker 2023
    • Doing practical work 52%
    • Having a good teacher 36%
    • Finding science interesting 32%
  • Main discouragements for years 7 to 9 studying science Science Education Tracker 2023
    • Finding it difficult 40%
    • It’s a lot to learn and/or remember 37%
    • Don’t find some topics interesting 34%
  • Main motivations for years 7 to 9 studying computing Science Education Tracker 2023
    • Find it creative 27%
    • Finding it interesting 24%
    • Having a good teacher 18%
    • But 43% of girls say nothing has encouraged them, compared to 27% of boys
  • Main discouragements for years 7 to 9 studying computing Science Education Tracker 2023
    • Not interesting 30%
    • Can be difficult 28%
    • Doesn’t fit with future plans 21%
  • But 43% of girls say nothing has encouraged them, compared to 27% of boys
  • GCSE students doing hands-on practical work at least once a fortnight is declining – from 44% in 2016 to 26% in 2023 Science Education Tracker 2023
  • Watching a video of a practical fortnightly has risen from 26% to 46% since 2016 Science Education Tracker 2023
  • Top 3 barriers for teachers delivering practicals School report
    • The demands of delivering the curriculum 44%
    • Difficult to schedule due to time 37%
    • Student behaviour 33%
  • 43% of young people report doing a STEM extracurricular activity in the last year Science Education Tracker 2023
    • Careers fair 17%
    • Talk at school 15%
    • School club 12%

Educational pathways into engineering and technology

  • Young people interested in an engineering career prefer a technical or vocational route (36%) compared to a university route (28%) Science Education Tracker 2023
    • More interested in a university route:
      • 38% Girls
      • 44% Asian students
    • More interested in a technical or vocational route:
      • 40% Boys
      • 40% white students
  • Top 3 reasons young people are interested in a technical or vocational route Science Education Tracker 2023
    • To start earning money straight away 48%
    • Prefer to learn by doing things 48%
    • Engineering is practical and well suited to on-the-job learning 46%
  • Top 3 reasons young people are interested in a university route Science Education Tracker 2023
    • To keep career options more open 54%
    • A degree would lead to better paid jobs in the long run 53%
    • To have the experience of going to university 53%
  • Teachers are equally likely to recommend an apprenticeship or university route (36%), and less likely to recommend another technical/vocational route (4%) School report
  • 53% feel confident advising their students of vocational and technical pathways into engineering School report
  • 85% of STEM teachers recommend a career in engineering School report
  • 83% of teachers say they know what subjects their students would need to take to have a career in engineering School report
  • Top 3 reasons STEM teachers would recommend a technical or vocational route into engineering: School report
    • If they prefer to learn by doing rather than being in a classroom 54%
    • Engineering is practical and well suited to on-the-job learning 52%
    • To avoid high student fees and/ or debt 50%
  • Top 3 reasons STEM teachers would recommend a university route into engineering: School report
    • To keep career options more open 71%
    • They might need a degree to get promoted or progress 48%
    • Better for their personal development 39%
  • 89% of STEM teachers in England are aware of T Levels, but only 11% say their school or college offers T Level School report
  • Parent knowledge of different education/ training routes: PARENTS REPORT TO BE PUBLISHED
    • Know a lot:
      • University 42%
      • Apprenticeships 20%
      • Other vocational 15%
      • BTECs 12%
      • T Levels 5%
    • Know a little:
      • University 40%
      • Apprenticeships 60%
      • Other vocational 54%
      • BTECs 47%
      • T Levels 23%

Key subject uptake

  • Entries into key GCSE subjects and proportion of all entries: GCSE results 2025
    • Double science – 989,264 (16.1%)
    • Maths – 893,198 (14.5%)
    • Chemistry – 174,088 (2.8%)
    • Physics – 173,227 (2.8%)
    • Computing – 91,619 (1.5%)
    • Design & technology – 86,307 (1.4%)
    • Engineering – 2,476 (0%)
  • Entries into key National 5 subjects and proportion of all entries: National 5 results 2025
    • Maths – 34,775 (10.4%)
    • Chemistry – 15,210 (4.6%)
    • Physics – 13,680 (4.1%)
    • Practical woodworking – 9,040 (2.7%)
    • Computing science – 6,585 (2%)
    • Design and manufacture – 3,990 (1.2%)
  • Entries into key A level subjects and proportion of all entries: A level results 2025
    • Maths – 112,138 (12.7%)
    • Chemistry – 63,538 (7.2%)
    • Physics – 44,957 (5.1%)
    • Computing – 19,796 (2.2%)
    • Design & technology – 10,576 (1.2%)
  • Entries into key Scottish Higher subjects and proportion of all entries: Higher results 2025
    • Maths – 19,705 (9.7%)
    • Chemistry – 10,120 (5%)
    • Physics – 8,560 (4.2%)
    • Computing science – 3,960 (2%)
    • Design and manufacture – 1,940 (1%)
  • Apprenticeship uptake – engineering and tech starts Apprenticeship pathways into engineering
    • England 97,120
    • Scotland 12,026
    • Wales 5,025
    • Northern Ireland (STEM) 4,316
  • T Level uptake: T Level results 2025
    • All engineering and tech-related: 5,643, 47% of all T Level learners
    • Top 3 subjects:
      • Digital production, design and development – 1,472
      • Design and development for engineering and manufacturing – 1,110
      • Design, surveying and planning for construction – 1,022
    • Higher education – first year undergraduates: Engineering in higher education
      • 38,615 engineering and technology students, around 6% of all subjects
      • 8,680 mechanical engineering
      • 6,115 electronic and electrical engineering
      • 6,080 general engineering
      • 5,285 civil engineering
      • 3,845 aerospace engineering
      • 2,750 chemical, process and energy engineering
      • 2,430 production and manufacturing engineering
    • 83% of teachers say they know what subjects their students would need to take to have a career in engineering School report
    • 48% of parents say they understand the subject requirements to follow an engineering career path PARENTS REPORT TO BE PUBLISHED
    • 12% of engineering and tech T Level students are young women T Level results 2025
    • 17% of engineering apprenticeship starts were by women Apprenticeship pathways into engineering
    • 18% of first year engineering undergraduates are women Engineering in higher education
    • Proportion of girls making up GCSE students GCSE results 2025
      • Maths 50%
      • Physics 48%
      • Computing 23%
      • D&T 30%
    • Proportion of girls making up A level students A level results 2025
      • Maths 37%
      • Physics 24%
      • Computing 19%
      • D&T 33%

Key subject uptake - Scotland

  • Entries into key National 5 subjects and proportion of all entries: National 5 results 2025
    • Maths – 34,775 (10.4%)
    • Application of maths – 27,655 (8.3%)
    • Chemistry – 15,210 (4.6%)
    • Physics – 13,680 (4.1%)
    • Practical woodworking – 9,040 (2.7%)
    • Computing science – 6,585 (2%)
    • Design and manufacture – 3,990 (1.2%)
    • Engineering science – 2,135 (0.6%)
  • Entries into key Scottish Higher subjects and proportion of all entries: Higher results 2025
    • Maths – 19,705 (9.7%)
    • Chemistry – 10,120 (5%)
    • Physics – 8,560 (4.2%)
    • Application of maths – 4,680 (2.3%)
    • Computing science – 3,960 (2%)
    • Design and manufacture – 1,940 (1%)
    • Engineering science – 1,400 (0.7%)
  • % of girls taking National 5 and Higher subjects:
A school science lab. Many students surround a work bench as a cool box exudes dry ice. The students reach to touch it. They smile as they watch on.

STEM in school infographic dashboard

This dashboard includes young people’s views on science and computing in the classroom, the declining practical rate, and young people’s and teacher’s engagement with STEM outreach
A teacher shows a group of secondary school students a screen in the school science lab

Knowledge and perceptions infographic dashboard

This dashboard looks at knowledge and perceptions of STEM careers and routes in among young people and teachers. It also covers the impact of some of EngineeringUK’s programmes in increasing these.
Student in busy communal area working on their laptop and writing notes

Key engineering and tech statistics

Take a quick look at the key stats that feature in our series of infographic dashboards
A school science lab where students are conducting an experiment with apparatus and protective equipment while a teacher looks on

Key subject uptake – Scotland infographic dashboard

This dashboard covers uptake of key subjects across GCSEs, National 5s, A levels and Highers for the 2025 exam season, focusing on Scotland.
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