UK Forecasting Shortage of Engineers

For engineering graduates and current engineering students around the world, the UK is looking like an increasingly promising place to find work, following recent reports forecasting a shortage of engineers in the coming decade.

Government advisor John Perkins’ recently published Review of Engineering Skills highlights “a need to substantially increase the supply of engineers”, citing an estimate by the Royal Academy of Engineering that forecasts a demand of 100,000 new STEM professionals per year until 2020.

The report identifies current and future shortages in specific areas of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), such as the need for “systems engineers in the automotive sector and composite technicians in aerospace”.  In addition, it highlights falling enrollments across many engineering subjects at UK universities including electrical and electronic engineering, and manufacturing and production engineering. It makes 22 recommendations that encompass short and longer-term solutions to this shortage of engineers.

Reasons for the shortage of engineers

Perkins points out that a career in engineering requires a solid foundation in maths and science, but not enough young people in the UK are studying these subjects to A-level – and that’s especially true of women. Only 20% of students in England study mathematics beyond the age of 16, and only 40% of those students are women. The report suggests this is due in part to parental bias in encouraging children towards certain careers, and also “widespread misconceptions and lack of visibility that deter young people”.

In addition, not enough engineering graduates are entering into long-term employment in the sector. Three years after graduation, just under 70% of male and 50% of female graduates from engineering and technology programs are working in their chosen fields. The Royal Academy of Engineering is investigating the issues behind these “troubling figures”.

Short term solutions to meet demand for engineers

To meet the demand for engineers, many UK employers are currently importing engineering skills in key shortage areas. Immigrants already constitute 20% of engineering professionals in the UK, across sectors that include oil and gas extraction, aerospace, and computer, electronic and optical engineering – but more are still needed to fill the shortage of engineers. In fact, half of the 119 jobs listed on the UK Border Agency’s Tier 2 Shortage Occupation List are engineering jobs.

One of the report’s proposed short term solutions to meet the demand for engineers is to encourage employers to come up with innovative proposals, such as creating “rapid conversion courses” for potential employees who have studied subjects related to engineering and technology. The report also recommends “retaining those with engineering skills and encouraging them to return if they have left the profession or taken a career break”. This could be aided by the introduction of a fellowship scheme for returning professionals, based on an existing trust for academics called the Daphne Jackson Trust.

Nurturing tomorrow’s engineering graduates

Because “engineering skills take a long time to develop”, the report’s recommended long-term solutions include strategies designed to encourage today’s young people to become future engineering graduates. It says programs encouraging engineering should start at primary school, and include vocational routes for post 16-year-olds.

“Concerted engagement with university students” by the engineering community is also encouraged, to ensure students have the skills and knowledge that employers require. This should include work placements and readily available information about engineering employment opportunities.

To this end, Coventry University and the manufacturing firm Unipart are collaborating to build the new £32 million (US$51 million) Engineering and Manufacturing Institute, which will enable students to get vital practical experience on the factory floor, due to start welcoming students from next September.

Funding for engineering skills

In response to the Perkins review, the government is making available almost £49 million (US$78.3 million) in funding for engineering skills. Almost £30 million (US$48 million) of that will be made available to employers who implement training schemes to address engineering skills shortages.

Another £18 million (US$28.7 million) will be invested in a new elite training facility at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry. Here apprentices will learn about the latest technology and develop their engineering skills in sponsored placements, both nationally and internationally. And £40,000 (US$63,900) will go towards the development of fellowships for returning engineering professionals.

In addition, if you’re a UK or EU national with a degree in physics, chemistry, maths and computer science, you can take advantage of scholarships and bursaries of up to £25,000 (US$39,950) to train for a career in teaching STEM subjects. These scholarships are available from the Institute of Physics, the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.

What do you think would be the most effective way to fill the shortage of engineers? Share your opinion in the comments below.

Image credit: Amanda Slater (main picture)