Students wishing to safeguard their careers against changes in the job market should opt for science rather than arts degrees, according to a survey of undergraduates. Engineering and chemistry were considered to be the most "future proof", as they are courses most likely to lead to an enduring and adaptable career. Students polled by Pearson College were broadly optimistic that their chosen courses would prepare them for a world in which the job market could change dramatically during their working lives. But opinion was sharply divided over which degrees were best for future-proof careers.   Eighty-two per cent of respondents believed engineering would help develop future-proof skills, with 74 per cent believing the same of chemistry and 73 per cent of computer science. But just 33 per cent of undergraduates believed history would lead to a future-proof career, and 40 per cent English. However more than two thirds of students (67 per cent) thought the world of work would be significantly different or completely unrecognizable in 20 years. The findings, published today, come after Education Secretary Nicky Morgan sparked controversy with claims that teenagers should steer clear of the arts and humanities and opt for science or math subjects if they want to access the widest range of jobs.  She said that in previous decades students would only take math or science if they wanted to pursue a specific career such as medicine or pharmacy, but nowadays that "couldn't be further from the truth". "If you wanted to do something different, or even if you didn't know what you wanted to do...then the arts and humanities were what you chose. Because they were useful - we were told - for all kinds of jobs. Of course now we know that couldn't be further from the truth, that the subjects that keep young people's options open and unlock doors to all sorts of careers are the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects. " She also described math as 'the subject that employers value most' and said that pupils who study A-level math will earn 10 per cent more over their lifetime. "These figures show us that too many young people are making choices aged 15 which will hold them back for the rest of their lives." she said. What did Nicky Morgan indicate in her claim?
If you want to do some different, the arts and humanities are what you choose now. STEM subjects can make young people choose their future jobs freely. At college, young people should make choices for their lives. Math and science are considered to be the subjects that employers value most.