Young people still choose BMW over biotech

Starlab International recently carried out a survey about the perception of laboratory careers post-pandemic among 2,000 young people aged 16 to 19 across the UK and Germany.

  • 65% said that the pandemic has made them aware of the importance of laboratory jobs
  • 32% of school-aged pupils are interested in STEM subjects
  • 45% are influenced in career choices by their own interests
  • 14% are most influenced by their teachers
  • 28% still perceive lab working as limited to medical and/or technical lab assistant roles
  • 7 out of 10 believe working in a lab would be fun yetโ€ฆ becoming a lab technician was one of the least popular career choices for respondents when they were growing up

Starlab CEO Klaus Ambos said: โ€œThe results of the survey suggest that young people lose their inherent interest in STEM at a certain point during their school days and choose a career based on criteria such as prestige, salary and work/life balance. Youngsters with an aptitude for the sciences and the grades to match are looking for jobs at management consultancies, IT developers or the automotive industry.

โ€œIn other words, BMW rather than biotech. One reason for the lack of young talent coming through seems to be that most people have only a stereotypical idea of what working in a lab entails. The first thing that comes into most peopleโ€™s heads when they consider lab work is analysing blood and urine at a doctorโ€™s surgery.โ€

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