The findings by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) suggest the government’s campaign to encourage more students to pursue science careers is doomed before it begins.
Last week Mary Hanafin, the education minister, proposed introducing a system of bonus points for Leaving Cert maths and science to encourage greater uptake of the subjects. The system, which will now be examined by the HEA, would give students who opt for a third-level course in these areas extra points for their grades in science subjects and maths.
However, the HEA figures show that employment prospects for science graduates are nowhere near as good as medicine, dentistry and paramedical graduates, who enjoy a 72% success rate in finding work.
Experts say the government should clarify what jobs are available to science graduates before encouraging more students into the discipline.
“I was part of an expert group that considered how to encourage people into science,” said Brian Mooney of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors. “I got a roasting by a man from Waterford whose son had a 2:1 honours science degree but couldn’t get employment in the area. His father said I shouldn’t be promoting it because the jobs aren’t there.”
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According to the HEA figures for the class of 2004, 4,472 students graduated with a primary science degree. In a follow-up survey of 2,421 graduates, almost one third (32%) had gone on for a masters or PhD while a further 5% had opted for courses abroad.
Almost 3% were still looking for work, while 7% said they were not available for employment. Of those in work, only one in five was classified as a “natural scientist”, with another 20% in science-related jobs. But about 60% were in jobs that had nothing to do with science, including areas such as catering, security, teaching, sales and law.
Universities say the problem for science graduates is not a lack of job opportunities but with their primary degree, which is largely ignored by high-tech industry in favour of further qualifications.
“Those employers, or potential employers, often seek masters and in many cases a PhD qualification,” said David Fegan, a professor in UCD’s school of physics.
“Traditionally, the chemical industry in Ireland has demanded PhDs as an almost entry level requirement. Frequently in biotech and information community technology, PhDs are also favoured. Without either, you are not fully qualified in the eyes of the industry.”
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Forfas, the national policy and advisory board for science and technology, last June produced a study which found that all science graduates earned higher starting salaries than their counterparts in other disciplines.
Many science graduates, however, say this is not the reality they find. Erica Mullaney, a UCD graduate from Meath, has almost finished a three-year PhD course in medical science. She originally believed she would have no trouble finding work: “People I work with, who have PhDs, have found themselves back in academia working for very little money because they weren’t able to get jobs in Ireland.”
Matt Moran, a director of PharmaChemical Ireland, said: “Where science subjects seem to be falling down in schools is in the practical teaching. We are encouraging students to study science, but when they go into the education area they seem to be struggling.”