According to a data analysis brief, 83 per cent of people working in the veterinary profession or in animal care are female.

STEM employers and employees urged to share experiences

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Diversity and Inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) is looking for companies and organisations to submit evidence and data to inform it's new inquiry into equity in the UK STEM workforce.

The APPG has published a data analysis brief on diversity and representation in the STEM workforce in 2019, to inform the new inquiry.

The findings showed that, 5.9 million people worked in STEM occupations and 65 per cent of these people were white men. The STEM workforce was found to have a lower percentage of female workers (27 per cent) and disabled people (11 per cent) than the rest of the workforce (52 per cent female and 14 per cent disabled).

According to the brief, the veterinary sector has the opposite gender gap issue to the rest of the STEM workforce, with 83 per cent of people working in the veterinary profession or in animal care being female.

However, the APPG states that this inquiry aims to investigate equity across all areas of the STEM industry, wherever there are barriers to entry, in an effort to promote a diverse and inclusive environment for everyone.

The APPG is urging employers, employees and relevant organisations in the STEM industry to respond to it's call for evidence in order to establish a better understanding of the culture of UK STEM workplaces in 2020.

Submitted evidence will inform recommendations to the Government in a subsequent report, to be launched in summer 2021.

The deadline for evidence submissions is Friday 29 January 2021 at 17.00. To submit evidence please click here and for assistance in organising a response please consult this guide published by the APPG.