There is a strong belief by most governments, enterprises and higher education providers that competence in the academic fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is not developing as quickly as required in spite of the importance for innovation, productivity, prosperity and international standing. This belief is often amplified by the media. The generality of the umbrella term "STEM" as a synonym for a diverse group of skills and academic fields poses various problems in terms of workforce planning and targeted interventions. This summary brings together findings from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research's detailed exploration of STEM skills, which investigated educational and occupational concepts and their associated definitions. [For the companion paper, "Measuring STEM in Vocational Education and Training," see ED570653.]