Bridging the STEM gender gap

Women make up just 25% of all people working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) occupations in the UK, despite accounting for nearly half of its total workforce. The reasons behind this are varied and complex, but one factor is clear: fewer women choose to pursue STEM subjects at a degree level.

The Challenge

As a global top-10 university with a world-class reputation in STEM subjects the university is committed to tackling this lack of gender parity head-on, with a focus on increasing recruitment among women.

To do this, the university knew that nailing its communications strategy would be key, and were exploring the idea of developing an online platform specifically tailored to the needs of female STEM applicants.

Our approach

We harnessed our youth research panel to find female applicants intending to study STEM subjects at university. We painted a clear story of who they were, their attitudes, motivations and feelings towards studying STEM at university – as well as any barriers they may experience.

We also tested the effectiveness of all existing communications with respondents and received in-depth feedback about their appetite and vision for a dedicated online platform.

The outcome

Our research gave the evidence and validation they needed to develop a fully-fledged online platform dedicated to young women interested in STEM, packed with relevant and authentic content.

The findings have also proved essential to the planning of current and future communications strategies, ensuring they are anchored to applicant’s needs and expectations, setting the university– and the wider STEM sector – on the path to greater equality.