Sir, - While sympathising with your correspondent K. Martin (September 5th), who reports that he has been unemployed for a year with a science degree, I think an incorrect impression of the need for scientists and engineers should not be conveyed.
There is some dependence of employment upon the area of science, and Mr Martin does not mention his own expertise. I have to hand statistics for 400 Ph.D.s in chemistry who graduated from UCD since 1970. There is virtually no unemployment and 80 per cent are working in Ireland. The demand for scientists is greatest in IT, physics and chemistry, as has often been stated. In this respect biology suffers a little from its own popularity as a school and degree subject.
The traditional advice on careers - "choose a subject others are not entering" - may be appropriate, but it is also true that in most sciences the Ph.D. represents a professional qualification. It allows a student to acquire laboratory experience for which he had only limited time as an undergraduate. Partly for this reason many graduates pursue successful careers in non-science areas where a scientific background is nevertheless appreciated. It is also true that the institutes of technology have been successful in providing a practical technical education which is sometimes valued in industry above the more theoretical background of a university graduate.
I would encourage Mr Martin to persevere in seeking employment in Ireland, but not to rule out looking beyond his subject - or, perhaps, Donegal! - Yours, etc.,
Prof R.A. More O'Ferrall, Department of Chemistry, UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4.