New generation of women with high tech skills crucial to Britain becoming science superpower

A new generation of women with high tech skills will be crucial to Britain becoming a global science superpower, experts have said.

A survey by the Society of Chemical Industry - a 123-year-old science charity - found nearly 60% of Small and Medium-sized businesses found it easier to recruit women with skills in Science, , Engineering and Maths (STEM) than it was a decade ago.

At the same time there has been a skills crisis in STEM recruitment - with 49% saying it's difficult to recruit anyone with the right skills, with only 17% saying it was easy.

And almost half (48%) said the current visa system was "ineffective".

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Society of Chemical Industry chief executive Sharon Todd said: “Finally, the gender balance in science is improving - and at great speed.

"This is well overdue and important at a time when a flawed visa regime is restricting the UK’s access to the global skills base. It's clear that a new generation of STEM-skilled women will be crucial to the UK’s ambition of becoming a global science superpower.”