Science and Mathematics

“Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater”. (Albert Einstein, physicist, 1879-1955)

There are lots of careers based on the school science subjects of biology, chemistry, physics and maths. The jobs are varied. Some of them have a lot of routine work but many are really exciting – and you might make a groundbreaking discovery!

Biology plays a big part in:

• research to cure illnesses – including cancer


• developing new food products and increasing yields of organic food


• monitoring environmental change – including climate change


• biotechnology, a growing area which links biology and technology.

• developing new drugs, paints, fertilisers and a huge variety of other products


• forensic work.

• producing energy – from wind, waves, oil or gas


• nuclear energy and nuclear decommissioning


• telecommunications


• medicine – through medical physics and bioengineering.

• finance – developing models to predict changes


• analysing statistics to help make decisions.

As a scientist you will need to be good at IT. You might have to work across the boundaries of the science subjects. You may well work in a team with scientists who specialise in other subjects.

Job prospects for scientists, and in particular for highly qualified graduates, are expected to grow in the next five years.

Science graduates 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.

Physics and maths graduates tend to earn higher than average salaries compared with graduates in other subjects.

Maths graduates are particularly in demand, over 46% went into employment in 2008, and around 37% of those went into the business and finance sector. Interestingly, an increasing number of physics graduates - over 18% in 2008 - also went into jobs in business and finance.

Many sectors in science-related industries are growing in Scotland.

• The chemical sciences industry is one of Scotland's top export earners and provides employment to almost 14,000 people. The chemical industry is one of the UK's largest manufacturing sectors.


• The pharmaceuticals sector in the UK employs around 67,000 workers, including 27,000 in research and development.


• Scotland has a growing life sciences sector, 70% of which focuses on human healthcare. Most jobs are based within 50 miles of three cities - Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee. Over 620 different organisations employ about 31,000 staff. Particular areas of expertise include research into cancer, human stem cells and diabetes.


• A new Modern Apprenticeship in Life Sciences, available since August 2009, was developed to attract more young people into the sector.


• Food and drink is another important sector, employing food scientists and brewing technologists.


• Physics graduates are in demand in a wide range of industries, including: engineering, telecommunications, renewable energy, oil extraction and finance.

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.

The jobs in this career area have been divided into 6 sectors:

• Science general


• Biology


• Chemistry and materials science


• Food science and technology


• Mathematics and statistics


• Physics.

Sources

Prospects (UK’s official graduate careers) website, Science: As it is (http://www.prospects.ac.uk/)

Scottish Development International (http://www.sdi.co.uk/)