Speaking live on BBC News 24, Andrew Furlong, director of policy and communication at IChemE said more thought was required if a looming skills gap in science and engineering is to be addressed
Furlong commented that whilst the students responsible for the latest GCSE results deserved nothing but praise the current Double GCSE Science exam was failing to equip UK school-leavers with essential skills.
"Double GCSE Science is not preparing students for further study and is leaving big gaps in essential knowledge", said Furlong.
"Pupils must be allowed to study single-science options like chemistry and physics at GCSE if we are to maintain the UK's excellent track record in engineering innovation.
"The UK will need 2.4 million new science and technology graduates by 2014.
"They simply won't be around unless the talent pipeline is fixed - and fixed fast".
Almost one in five GCSEs was awarded an A* or A grade, despite a small drop in overall pass rates.
Around 15 percent of students studying a Dual Science degree achieved an A* or A grade.
Earlier this month, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) revealed the worrying shortage of science and technology graduates set to hit the UK.
Furlong says that IChemE - along with other UK Science and Engineering groups - are backing calls for the implementation of a range of measures, in an effort to stem the shortage: "We need to support science and engineering graduates by helping them pay off their student debts, we must ensure secondary school science teachers are better paid so we can attract more, high quality people into the profession, these teachers need to be properly qualified in the science discipline they are teaching and, in the long term, we need to get a science specialist in every primary school.
"We'll only be able to inspire youngsters into a science or engineering career, if they enjoy their science at school and are taught properly.
"For this, we need to attract first-class science teachers".
