Blood samples and urine tests? MRNA or cancer research? Microbe detection in drinking water or PCR tests? Many young women in the UK have virtually no idea what it would be like to work in a laboratory profession as revealed in a survey by laboratory product manufacturer Starlab International.

The lack of knowledge of career profiles in science has a severe impact on skills shortage and on many women’s choice of a profession and career opportunities. Ensuring that this situation changes will not only require schools, companies and parents to play a part in inspiring careers, but also life science influencers in Tiktok, Instagram, along with traditional media.

In 2020, doll manufacturer Mattel launched a Barbie doll of Oxford pioneer and vaccine professor Sarah Gilbert to give women scientists visibility at an early stage in young children's lives. Children can meanwhile not only play with the 'Covid warrior' but also with astronaut Samantha Christoforetti or biomedicine researcher Jaqueline Goes. The generation of children who have access to Barbie today have a better chance of seeing women, and therefore themselves, not just in stereotypical jobs for women, but also in science and research.

However, stimulus from early childhood in the form of books and toys is not what impacts the perception of almost 25 percent of young women in England of the STEM professions (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). Significantly media and social media channels can play a decisive role in the future in inspiring girls to work in laboratories. This was discovered by a survey commissioned by Starlab International on 1,000 young people (533 female, 449 male and 18 non-binary) in the UK. The results showed that social media influencers on Tiktok or Instagram have the greatest impact on 35.5 per cent of young women in choosing a career, followed by celebrities from traditional media such as newspapers or TV (32.5 per cent). In selecting a profession, friends nevertheless still play an important influence for every fourth girl (25.5 per cent). Schools, family or vocational guidance are important for girls who are a little older.

Low proportion of women in research

According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the proportion of women in research and development work is below 30 per cent on a global scale, which has an impact on the career designs of many young people. In response to the Starlab survey question 'What did you want to be when you grew up', only about 10 out of 500 young women today aspired to be lab technicians (1.8 per cent) and 31 women (5.8 per cent) wanted to be scientists. Jobs in animal care or hairdressing rated much higher.

Uncertainty about professions

"Young people in England do not have a clear idea about laboratory professions and the work involved," says Denise Fane de Salis, Starlab UK Managing Director. Of the respondents, 74.7 per cent do not believe that they can contribute to healing cancer in a profession like this, and 64.4 per cent cannot imagine that verifying microbes in drinking water, for instance, is possible in a laboratory. Despite the success of Sarah Gilbert in vaccine research, 63.8 per cent of young women do not see the possibility of working on the vaccines of the future in a laboratory setting. More than half (56.3 per cent of girls) do not make the connection between work in the lab and PCR tests, even after Covid. "It seems as if many young people are missing some sort of digital door to the STEM world," Fane de Salis commented.

Thousands of experts needed

According to Starlab UK Managing Director, Denise Fane de Salis, it is not only the visibility which has to change for both genders to aspire to STEM professions. The British Commission for Employment and Skills ascertained in 2022 that 43 per cent of vacant positions in STEM professions were difficult to fill due to the lack of applicants. "The STEM deficit of young people is in itself a danger. This is compounded by a gender gap attributable to education and a lack of points of contact. Many women who essentially have STEM potential have an incorrect or imprecise perception of STEM careers," Fane de Salis says.

According to the survey, 21.4 per cent of girls and 25.8 per cent of boys are suited to laboratory professions, as shown by their good grades. Just under 30 per cent of boys and girls express interest themselves in a job in natural science. And almost two-thirds of the girls (63.2 per cent) and boys (61.5 per cent) say that they would enjoy a job of this kind. However, only very few young people generally, and women in particular, make the transition through to STEM careers.

About the survey

The survey was conducted in March 2022 by ISO 20252-certified panel provider Cint. Cint has the world's largest panel list network for digital survey-based research consisting of more than 149+ million active participants in more than 130 countries. As part of the survey, 1,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 19 were surveyed.

About Starlab

The Starlab Group is a group of companies specialising in liquid handling technology and laboratory products. The group comprises subsidiaries in Germany, France, the UK and Italy, as well as distributors worldwide. Founded in 1998, the company's headquarters are located in Hamburg. Its product portfolio includes laboratory consumables such as pipette tips, single-channel and multi-channel pipettes, cell culture and PCR consumables, nitrile and latex gloves, as well as instruments for general laboratory use. A pipette service geared to the brands of all manufacturers rounds off the portfolio. Starlab's products and services are aimed at research institutions in the public sector such as biological and medical institutes, universities and hospitals, but also at companies operating in the field of life sciences, as well as workshops and state criminal investigation offices. Starlab's success is based on uncompromising customer centricity and many years of in-depth experience in the manufacturing and sale of disposable liquid handling products. With TipOne®, Starlab has become a leading supplier of pipette tips worldwide. Outstanding quality, competitive pricing and service always take top priority.

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