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Higher education in science should never be specifically for employment, but if it can retain its educative function, while taking some cognizance of the possible shape of the market for its products, the frustrations and disappointments suffered by so many individual science graduates during the past few years may be somewhat lessened in future.
In the past few years the most striking change has been the reduction in the number of first degree graduates entering employment and the increase in the number opting for teacher training.
The changing role of the science graduate will present a particular challenge to the university teacher, who will also have to come to terms with the somewhat changed conditions under which he may in future do his own research.
The Secretary of the Institute of Biology suggests that environmental work, not necessarily of a strictly biological nature, will attract more British biology graduates in the years to come.
Although the employment prospects for physicists in industry may improve in some cases in the next few years, medical physics and accountancy, banking and commerce may well be new growth areas.
The Careers and Appointments Officer and the Academic Registrar of the Australian National University discuss the problems faced by the science graduate in Australia. One of the difficulties is that comprehensive statistics have only recently become available.
