Edinburgh Napier University

  There is currently significant gender imbalance within Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) graduate apprenticeship (GA) programmes in Scotland. This is a considerable, ongoing issue for both higher education institutions and the labour market as there is a shortfall in skilled, qualified employees within these sectors which will have a significant impact on Scotland’s economy and productivity. The problem of gender imbalance in STEM is also a wider social issue, as women are more likely to be unemployed (Scottish Government, 2022), or working in low paid, unskilled jobs than men, which results in them being left behind in a rapidly growing post pandemic digital world. This paper will outline an ongoing research study which explores some of the reasons and factors which may cause or contribute to the problem of gender imbalance in STEM GA programmes and investigates the role that Scottish government policy can play in mitigating these.