Are governments doing young Canadians a disservice by encouraging them to pursue careers in science?

All three levels of government in Canada are looking at ways to increase enrolment in science and engineering programs, especially by women. There are numerous programs in primary and secondary schools as well as at universities that encourage students to consider studying the sciences.

I am a part of some of the aforementioned programs to encourage students in high schools to think about science and technology careers and I have begun to seriously question myself. Am I leading these kids down a not-so-bright path? As I spend more time learning about science in Canada through my job and also through volunteering with various organizations, I am discovering that careers in science and engineering in Canada are not what they should be. The science and engineering journey in this country is often too long and full of challenges; in fact, pursuing these careers in Canada means following a path paved with uncertainty and instability.

One of the main problems is that science and engineering jobs are severely underpaid. It can be argued that scientists do the work because they love it, but this argument is getting rather tired and was never true to begin with. Many scientists and engineers do love their work, but that is no reason not to get properly rewarded for it.

Few science degrees lead to stable careers. In the past decade, computer science has proven to be the only real money maker. Even engineers who end up with professional degrees start at low salaries, and you can almost never begin a "scientific" career with only a B.Sc in Life Science.

Ph.Ds make approximately $45,000 per year as post-doctoral researchers at universities and these are the most educated people in our society. Scientists who want to continue in their field feel that they need to have a few years of post-doctoral work behind them to be considered for academic positions. Indeed, many faculty positions require as much. The pay for a post-doctoral researcher is far too low, especially considering the high risk of never becoming a member of a university faculty. This is the reason why many of the more business savvy scientists get fed up and abandon the academic path altogether. This is not something we want to see continue.

The other major problem is the lack of spots for graduate and medical students. University science programs are often over-subscribed and highly competitive, meaning students have a lower chance of graduating with high marks, which in turn decreases their chance of continuing onto graduate school. This results in a large number of students turning to more expensive international schools. Furthermore, it is unclear just where the few available graduate spots can lead and how much stability one can expect even with a Master’s of Science or Engineering degree.

Many Life Science majors plan to study medicine and most are brutally disappointed. With only 17 medical schools in Canada, and six in Ontario that accept less than 1,000 students per year, thousands of very capable students are turned away. With only a B.Sc, they face a difficult, uncertain path.

Scientific research is some of the most important work in society with a great social and economic value. If we hope to keep up with countries like China, India, Singapore, Brazil, the U.S. and many others that are putting in billions of dollars into research, development and infrastructure, we need to make some major changes.

In Europe Ph.D.s are recruited by major companies while still in university. They are seen as a huge asset for banks and consulting companies, which offer very high salaries and highly regard their education.

The Canadian system needs to find a way to “capture” its scientists. There are thousands of brilliant scientists educated in Canada, many with excellent Canadian or international graduate degrees. Canada should make it a priority to provide them with the right tools and opportunities to lead scientific research at the international level.

If we want to increase the number of students involved in science and engineering, scientists need to start getting the credit they deserve. Science should be seen as a career, not just a degree. This should be demonstrated by defining an appropriate system with various stable avenues for scientists to take. I am not talking about putting more money into science programs per se, but revamping the system entirely to ensure career stability and higher salaries.

Measures that bring science into the professional realm ought to be installed, so that, as with many other professions, scientists have legal backing with a charter of sorts. There needs to be a shift in the attitude towards scientific careers. That can only begin with the government and the larger research institutions.

It has to be recognized that science and engineering are game changers, that they find solutions to problems that deeply matter, and are crucial to our economic development. If this is taken for granted, science will remain undefined, under-funded, under-valued, and thus an unattractive career choice.