Policies for Developing Advanced STEM Skills in Higher Education

Advanced STEM skills are essential for the responsible use of technology. This report defines them as disciplinary, interdisciplinary, transversal and professional competence applied to complex scientific and technological problems and responsible innovation, with ethical, societal and environmental implications. Quantum technologies and artificial intelligence illustrate fields requiring advanced STEM skills, yet determining whether skills for these and other fields are in short supply is difficult. The report identifies five bottlenecks: entry into STEM higher education; persistence and completion; progression to advanced levels; career entry and effective skills use; and skills renewal across working life. Building on this framework, four policy priorities address entry, persistence and completion; progression and skills renewal; programme renewal; and career entry and the effective use and continued development of advanced STEM skills. Policy and practice examples were analysed through the OECD Mutual Learning Group on Advanced STEM Skills in Higher Education, involving researchers, policymakers and higher education practitioners from a wide range of countries. The report’s eight recommendations propose options to address constraints at individual, institutional, employer and system levels, highlighting that implementation requires collaboration across policy portfolios. The report offers a framework for strengthening the development and use of advanced STEM skills and supports implementation of the European Union’s STEM Education Strategic Plan: Skills for Competitiveness and Innovation.