The UK must double the number of engineering graduates and apprentices it produces by 2020 in order to match demand, according to EngineeringUK. The body observed that the country produces 46,000 engineering graduates each year, but there is demand for around 69,000. Additionally, the report confirmed that the UK produces 27,000 apprentices a year qualify at level 3, but there is demand for nearly triple that number.
The figures have prompted Paul Jackson, EngineeringUK's Chief Executive, to call on the government and industry bodies to work more closely to ensure that the country produces the necessary number of engineers. He said that it is important to capture the imagination of young people and outline the specific attractions of working within the engineering sector. It is imperative, he explained, to "lay the groundwork early".
"This means providing robust and consistent careers information for young people that promotes the diversity of engineering careers available and the variety of routes to those careers," he said. "Job prospects in engineering are a good news story. It is crucial, however, that government, business, professional bodies, education and the wider engineering community continue to work together to ensure that the UK has the talent pipeline ready to meet demand."
Meanwhile, Michael Fallon, the Business Minister, has claimed that the government is doing all it can to support the engineering industry. It has, for example, launched apprenticeship schemes and postgraduate training courses, as well as educating young children on the unique appeal of the sector.
Despite this, EngineeringUK has implored the government to work more closely with the engineering industry, in addition to professional bodies and the third sector, in order to increase the number of designers the country is producing. A robust careers advice service, which outlines the specific attraction of working in the industry, is a key part of realising this ambition, according to the body.
Earlier this year, the IEEE Women in Engineering, the largest international professional organisation dedicated to promoting women engineers and scientists, argued that even more needs to be done to encourage girls to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering and math fields. The body observed that while engineering is the fastest growing occupation around the world, women only represent 25 percent of the total current global workforce in these areas.
In what other ways can the UK government support the engineering sector?
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