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Career Area

Science and Mathematics

The science and mathematics career area includes the wide range of careers in maths and the biological, chemical and physical sciences. It also includes materials science and food science and technology. If you think you may also be interested in other areas of technology you may want to look at the career areas for Engineering, Computing and ICT and Health and Medicine (including Medical Technology). Despite the recent economic difficulties around the world, job prospects in this career area are looking good - especially for highly qualified scientists and technicians. And, you don’t need to be an Einstein, or wear a white coat, to make an interesting career in science and maths. You’ll find scientists developing new food products, testing anti-ageing serums, teaching, setting up businesses or analysing data on the sports performance of athletes. If you are interested in science careers you might want to visit some of the following websites for information and inspiration:

Science graduates - especially from chemistry and physics - are more likely to go on to further study or training than other graduates, mainly because they usually need a postgraduate qualification to get into research and development work. And, many science graduates go into non-science careers. However, access to funding for postgraduate study, and to top level jobs is very competitive. Physics and maths graduates tend to earn higher than average salaries compared with graduates in other subjects. Maths graduates are particularly in demand, nearly 45% went into employment in 2012, and over 39% of those went into the business and finance sector. Physics graduates are in demand in a wide range of industries, including: engineering, telecommunications, renewable energy, oil extraction and finance. In 2012, around a third of Chemistry graduates went on to further study and nearly 53% went into employment. Over 25% of Biology graduates went on to further study and nearly 59% into employment.

Here are a few interesting facts about some of the sectors in the science and mathematics career area:

  • Many sectors in science-related industries are growing in Scotland. Most workers are full time employees; there tend to be fewer part time workers than in other sectors.
  • The chemical sciences industry is one of Scotland’s top export earners and provides employment to over 13,500 people. In research and development (R&D) it is ranked the top third in the world.
  • The pharmaceuticals sector in the UK employs around 68,000 workers within a number of areas, including research and development, manufacturing and quality control.
  • Biotechnology is used in the discovery, development and testing of new medicines, and in a wide range of industrial products including biofuels, tyres and plastics.
  • Scotland has one of the largest life sciences clusters in Europe, and the industry continues to grow.
  • The latest figures (2011) show that the Scottish life sciences industry employed 35,000 people across 650 organisations.
  • A Modern Apprenticeship in Life Sciences, has been developed to attract more young people into the sector.
  • Food and drink is another important sector, employing food scientists and brewing technologists.
The most recent research by the Scottish Government and by SEMTA (the Sector Skills Council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies in the UK) indicates that in comparison with the average across other industries in Scotland SEMTA sector workplaces have a much lower proportion of both female employees (22% compared with 51%) and part time jobs (5% compared with 32%). So, it could be that the less flexible work patterns in the sector are affecting female scientists’ ability to stay on in science and technology careers once they have a family. Skills you need to have or develop to work in this area As a scientist you need to be:
  • logical
  • resourceful
  • determined
  • accurate.
You must also be:
  • good at solving problems
  • willing to take responsibility
  • able to explain your work to others in your working team and to members of the public.

Routes into science and mathematics careers For most jobs in this career area you do need a degree. There is now a wide range of degrees in different aspects of science, so look carefully at the course content before deciding which course would suit you. You can find more information on courses on PlanIT Plus or in university prospectuses. For a few jobs you may be able to get into a Modern Apprenticeship, and study part time while you work. More information We have split the job profiles and courses for this career area into 6 sectors:

  • Science general
  • Biology
  • Chemistry and materials science
  • Food science and technology
  • Mathematics and statistics
  • Physics.
The job profiles are linked to relevant courses available throughout Scotland.

Sources

What do graduates do? (September 2013), HECSU/AGCAS in association with UCAS

Scottish Key Facts May 2014 – Scottish Enterprise (www.scottish-enterprise.com)

Tapping all our talents, Women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics: a strategy for Scotland, The Royal Society of Edinburgh (April 2012)

Scottish Development International (Sectors: Chemical Sciences, Life Sciences)

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