I think what this discussion shows more than anything else is that the two cultures in England is alive and well and A levels need to be scrapped and a broader education post 16 needs to be introduced (probably something similar to the traditional Scottish Highers and degree where you are admitted to a faculty rather than a degree and where you can do courses across the sciences and humanities and decide at the end if you get a BSc or MA). As a scientist so many of these comment just show complete ignorance of science and scientists, for example:
the entire vaccination program, track and trace - who do you think project manages that? Logistics of getting the vaccine - you don’t need a STEM degree for that.
I work for a pharma company, we are doing several Covid projects and all our programme managers have STEM degrees. Programme Management is all about soft skills but those can be acquired whether you have a science or a humanities degree and scientists who have worked their way up to programme management understand the idiolect (and all the teamwork in science is very good for developing soft skills). In fact out of several thousand employees across the world we have just a handful with non-STEM degrees. And even though we recruit many biologists I can tell you there is a skills shortage, to the extent that we offer degree apprenticeships, work with local universities to shape what they teach by providing lecturers and including offering well paid year in industry placements, and do a lot of outreach work in local schools all to increase the flow of science graduates through our door.
As it is unlikely they will be able to compete on salary with finance sector.
The finance sector is desperate for people with numerate degrees, a finance sector job is a STEM job. People aren't leaving STEM by moving into the finance sector.
A degree from a good university (or a good course at a mediocre university) in any subject adds value to an employee. STEM academics have worked together to lobby government and show the government the value even blue sky STEM research adds to the economy. STEM academics can talk the language of economics that means their contribution is recognised. Academics in the Humanities and Arts need to do the same thing to secure their future. That is their issue maybe a bit more analysis and soft skills when talking to government are needed.
And this idea that a science degree doesn't have value unless you work at the lab bench or an arts degree doesn't have value unless you are working at the BBC is ridiculous. ALL good degrees teach critical thinking and creativity. All good degrees teach transferable skills. But STEM jobs are more accessible to those who don't have cultural capital (Paul Nurse has spoken about this) and there is a shortage of women in STEM that needs to be addressed in primary school. Culturally Anglophone countries have a shortage of women in STEM because of this idea that you should do a job you 'love' or have 'natural ability' in, which has been repeated multiple times on this thread. In a culture that has very defined ideas about 'girls' interests and 'boys' interests this has long term impacts on womens job choices and pay. STEM jobs are well paid jobs with security, and good T&Cs. Medicine, Engineering, Pharma, Accountancy, Finance are all well paid STEM jobs. And none of the bollocks of unpaid internships. We should be encouraging our daughters to do them. That doesn't mean that degrees in the Humanities and Arts don't have value but think about why men congregate in STEM jobs.