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STEM Subjects: Recruitment

Asked by James McMurdockIndependentDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled Answered 20 October 2025UIN 81181

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help retain UK-trained STEM graduates in the domestic workforce; and what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of international recruitment offers on talent retention in the UK.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan

DSIT is strengthening retention of UK‑trained STEM graduates through investment in talent and skills, including support for postgraduate researchers via the New Deal for Postgraduate Researchers. DSIT funds studentships and globally prestigious fellowships through UKRI and the National Academies. Analysis of all respondents who completed recent UK R&I Workforce Surveys found a statistically significant drop in the proportion of respondents considering leaving the UK, from 26% in 2022 to 22% in 2024 overall.

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