IDA report today - need more science graduates?

[nelly]

Just a mini-rant really as i was listening to the news this morning.
How can the IDA say that they want more Irish students to study science when every IT and university are churning out qualified graduates as it is and there are no decent jobs for them? it just plain baffles me.
DH has a science qualification and outside of Dublin cannot find a permanent job to suit his qualification. I have an honours degree in science and had to retrain into a semi-science area as jobs 7 years ago were very thin on the ground and of fairly low wages, after 7 years good experience i still am not earning a "good wage" compared to my friends, a garda and accountant.
(I like what i do so its not a problem at all BTW).
but whats the story? why are there not enough science graduates now with all the courses fully subscribed already?. I'm genuinely baffled and feel it is wrong to tell students that they should go into science (or IT for i feel it is a similar story) when they are not going to find suitable employment after?
rant over.

 

[CCOVICH]

Could it be that if we have statistics to prove that the number of science graduates is increasing we could use them to attract more firms involved in R&D etc.?

Or that they are conscious that science graduates are declining and don't want that decline to become permanent?

I would agree that it makes no sense on the face of it if the jobs aren't there.

 

[nelly]

Could it be that if we have statistics to prove that the number of science graduates is increasing we could use them to attract more firms involved in R&D etc.?

Or that they are conscious that science graduates are declining and don't want that decline to become permanent?

both seem logical reasons.

Alas more questions!!

 

[z108]

Yeah its BS. My sister has a first in science from UCD but shes still had to go to England to do a masters in something else to get a decent job.

 

[MugsGame]

Could it be that if we have statistics to prove that the number of science graduates is increasing we could use them to attract more firms involved in R&D etc.?

Yes, many multinationals want cheap graduates trained in the latest technologies. They don't want to pay experienced professionals to learn on the job, even though they may be more effective than most graduates. Any lack of science graduates is a myth. Similarly with IT.

 

[shesells]

I'm a science graduate, worked in science in the UK. Moved home, no science jobs so left science 7 years ago and have never gone back.

There were 6 people on my very specific science course and apart from me we have one scientific academic, one optician, one insurance worker, one re-training as a radiographer and one a marine biologist in the UK.

My geneticist friend had to move to the UK as had my cousin who has a Phd in biomedical science. My friend who has a Phd in Biotechnology now works in sales.

Now tell me again why we don't have enough science graduates?

 

[Markjbloggs]

Yes, many multinationals want cheap graduates trained in the latest technologies. They don't want to pay experienced professionals to learn on the job, even though they may be more effective than most graduates. Any lack of science graduates is a myth. Similarly with IT.

100 % agree with this - I am a science graduate with many years experience in various fields. But two things becomes apparent as you get older -

1. You become obsolete, regardless of how well you try to keep up.
2. You become more expensive to employ.

I have advised, and will continue to advise, any youngster considering a science degree to look elsewhere, or at least be prepared to change careers in 8-12 years.

 

[Seagull]

Am I alone in thinking that it makes no sense to lump all science graduates together? There's a huge difference between the different disciplines. There could for example be a huge demand for chemistry or physics graduates, while there is over supply of graduates in life sciences. Within the life sciences, there could be a shortage of botanists and an excess of zoologists.

Specify which of the sciences you're referring to, and I might bother to pay some attention.

 

[polaris]

Those who want to see an increase the number of science graduates and postgraduates want a surplus in the marketplace.

The IDA can point to a large number of graduates/postgraduates being churned out from Irish universities/ITs when they are trying to attract multinationals to Ireland. Industry itself wants a plentiful supply of labour to keep salaries as low as possible.

From the graduates' point of view this means taking a job in a call centre etc or leaving the field entirely if they are not prepared to wait around for a job that utilises their science degree.

 

[nelly]

Specify which of the sciences you're referring to, and I might bother to pay some attention.

How well you bothered to reply at all!

the IDA did not specify however one can assume that the sciences in question to meet multinationals demands are microbiology, biotech, chemistry organic and analytical and biochemistry, maybe a few others to a lesser extent.
As far as i know there is a surplus of all of these these at present.

 

[nelly]

From the graduates' point of view this means taking a job in a call centre etc or leaving the field entirely if they are not prepared to wait around for a job that utilises their science degree.

from my own experience leaving the area you are trained in for any lenght of time (for a call centre job or whatever) is suicide for a career and it seems better to stay on dire wages or conditions (contract etc) for future job progression in the area. Therefore i cut my losses and retrained without being too bitter.