Workforce Skills Conference report
A core part of the Science Council's work is to foster debate and the exchange of ideas on policy issues affecting the science community. When it brought the sector together to discuss the UK’s STEM skills shortage in October 2023, I was enlisted to produce a conference report to support its future work on the topic.
The objective: To create an engaging report that captured the breadth of the debate, with the aim of helping the scientific community build on ideas for addressing the sector’s skills gaps.
The approach: After attending the conference to hear speakers on topics such as AI, sustainability science and cross-sector working, I produced a set of summaries covering each session. Each summary drew out key themes from the discussions, including sector-wide issues such as the need for a focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, and the importance of providing varied routes into a career in science.
With the final report destined for use in varied contexts, it was important for the write-up to be able to engage a range of audiences, including policymakers, Science Council members and the wider science community.
The result: The report captured insights from more than 30 speakers, among them senior civil servants and sector leaders, with a focus on potential solutions to the sector’s skills gaps. Its publication prompted one major public body to explore further work to build on its insights and evidence – helping keep the issue firmly on the agenda.
Visit the Science Council’s website to read the full report.
“Kirsty’s work was of exceptional quality, and her first draft of the report was reviewed positively by dozens of speakers, with minimal edits. It’s been a real pleasure to work with her, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Kirsty for policy or conference writing in the future.”