UK manufacturers call for Government to step up and close engineering gap
Senior executives within the UK manufacturing industry have called for the Government to do more to encourage more young people to consider a career in engineering to try close the ongoing skills gap.
These results came from a Subcon poll of over 600 industry professionals, in association with leading trade magazine The Engineer.
The survey revealed that 67 per cent of UK manufacturers are worried about the future availability of skilled staff for their business, and 72 per cent believe Government are not doing enough to promote skills training.
In response to estimates that the UK needs an additional 1.8 million engineers by 2018, the Government has introduced The Apprenticeship Levy, and announced £170 million worth of investment in technology institutes as part of its Industrial Strategy and the introduction of T-Levels.
Sid Shaikh, Engineering Research and Development Manager at Ocado, said: “The engineering skills gap is the biggest challenge facing the UK manufacturing industry right now. If Government is to encourage more young people to work in the industry, we should encourage engineering qualifications earlier in the education process, create targeted promotion and incentives for women and young people to take the Engineering GCSE, and create a culture that is more welcoming to new starters that are keen to learn.”
90 per cent of respondents said they felt the industry would benefit from more young people, and 88 per cent said that engineering is a good career choice for young people.
As well as this, when asked what industry the Government can do to encourage more young people to consider manufacturing as career, the top polled answer was to increase and improve education at school level.
Alan Pendry, Associate Professor of Advanced Systems Engineering in the School of Engineering and the Built Environment at Birmingham City University, said: “Apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships are an excellent opportunity for UK companies to grow the essential skills needed by our growing manufacturing industry and take us into the fourth industrial revolution. If I were in Government and wanted to encourage more young people and women into engineering, I would get rid of ‘career politicians’ and replace the cabinet with engineers: 50 per cent male and 50 per cent female, educate school teachers as to what engineering and manufacturing in the 21st century is and promote positive action without the perceived fear of discrimination in the appointment of women to engineering posts.”
Jon Excell, Editor of The Engineer, said: “The skills shortage is a major issue. The Government is doing a bit to help, and the investment in technology institutes, intr
oduction of T-Levels, and The Apprenticeship Levy are all welcome developments that will give a lot of people opportunities they haven’t had before as well as broadening the pool that the industry can draw on. But there is a slight caveat, which is that in the rush to meet the target of three million apprentices, we don’t lose sight of the fact we need high quality apprenticeships for high value industries that will drive the economy.”
He concluded: “Of course there is more the Government can do, but it’s not just down to Government, industry has an important role to play too. It needs to get more engaged with education and the school system to inspire the next generation of engineers.”