The UK STEM skills pipeline report (May 2025), highlights the extent of the workforce challenge across the UK science and technology sector.
It noted that 49% of engineering and technology businesses report difficulties with recruitment because of skills shortages, estimated to cost the UK economy £1.5 billion a year.
How does industry begin to refill this pipeline and what are the most effective ways of doing so?
Engaging directly with a company’s local talent pool should be an obvious route but often not the easiest, with the need to liaise and build relationships with local schools, colleges and universities, create compelling careers materials and enable employees to become the “face” of the company.
In practice, doing this well needs collaboration and a support network, which is the idea behind the Not Just Lab Coats Ambassadors initiative, designed for careers outreach.
What is "careers outreach”?
This is where people working in industry actively engage with young people in education - essentially, next generation talent - to build knowledge about jobs, pathways into careers and practical advice on what it’s really like to do the job.
But to get young people interested, careers outreach activities should be hands-on, practical, engaging, and relatable and offer sound advice on the steps to take into the workplace.
This is about building trust, answering questions honestly and - above all - telling the personal story about what it’s like to work in the STEM industry.
This is why Not Just Lab Coats Ambassadors are more effective than dispatching either general recruiters or company literature into the community.
Young people connect better with those who are doing the job now; bringing careers to life and showing how what they’re learning in school can apply to the real world. Ambassadors can also help dismiss myths and perceptions about working in the science industry.
Ultimately, these tend to be more memorable conversations and can be the start of a young person’s journey into a science sector role.
Training as an Ambassador
Ambassador training is designed to give employees the confidence, knowledge and skills to represent both their company and the industry.
It enables them to explain things in accessible language, ensure that outreach is inclusive, to challenge stereotypes and appeal to young people from any background.
As part of the training, Ambassadors deliver a mock careers activity in front of their trainer and peers to get feedback, refine their approach and be ready to deliver it in reality.
The training also provides engaging and interactive materials which are relevant to different age groups and have learning outcomes. Ambassadors become part of a wider network with access to careers resources, classroom activities, labour market information, etc.: materials developed with industry, by industry for industry.
And, frankly, anyone can become an ambassador: apprentices, scientists, people from operations, finance, digital and senior leaders too. Each brings a different perspective that will resonate differently with young people.
Above all, they need to be enthusiastic about what they do, want to share their experience and genuinely help young people to see what opportunities exist in the science sector.
What's the business case for careers Ambassadors?
With the scale of the skills challenge facing Industry - and the need to fill a talent pipeline - it’s become vital to show young people what’s available.
By allocating a relatively small amount of employee time for careers outreach, this can have a long-term impact: raising awareness of a business, its commitment to investing in local talent and building closer links with local education institutions.
Employers often tell us they can feel invisible in the local community, even though the company offers a range of career opportunities. But, with careers outreach, perceptions start to change students discover a career direction, teachers, parents and guardians understand the local employment opportunities better and employers become more recognised in the community for investing in young people.
And beyond the recruitment benefits, employees benefit too. Taking part as Ambassadors increases confidence, improves presentation and communication skills which are transferable to the business. It’s also an early development opportunity for apprentices.
When done well, having Ambassadors and a careers outreach programme flips the employment approach from reactive to proactive and widens the talent pool. Long-terms partnerships are created and become a sustainable way of managing the employment pipeline.
Membership benefits
Becoming a member of Cogent Skills’ Science Industry Skills Partnership (SISP) provides opportunities to work alongside other employers, Government, Skills England and regional skills organisations to influence the policies, programmes and investment that shape the future skills landscape. Members can help shape national skills priorities, apprenticeships, technical education and workforce development, while providing evidence on emerging labour market challenges and the skills needed to support innovation and growth.
Members also benefit from practical support and insight to help navigate a rapidly changing skills landscape, including access to workforce planning expertise, apprenticeship and funding advice, skills diagnostics, competence frameworks and labour market intelligence.
For employers looking to build their future talent pipeline, membership includes access to careers resources, STEM Ambassador and outreach training, education partnerships and the Not Just Lab Coats careers website. These opportunities enable employers to showcase their organisation and the breadth of careers available across the science industries to potential recruits. As young people start making employment decisions, employers can promote their early careers, placement and apprenticeship opportunities and build stronger connections with schools, colleges and communities.
Are you interested in a STEM Ambassador role or keen on your organisation to be part of the Science Industry Skills Partnership? Get in touch with Cogent Skills to find out how.
