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It’s easy to lose count of the number of bold new acronym-strewn initiatives aimed at attracting students into the engineering profession.
But with the majority of these efforts focusing on home-grown skills, a report out today warns that we need to do more to stimulate an equally critical and somewhat-unsung component of the UK’s engineering workforce: overseas talent.
From the physics laboratories at Harwell, to the key advances made in our medical devices and energy industries, the UK has long punched well above its weight in terms of world-leading facilities and R&D. But today’s report, released by pressure group Campaign For Science and Engineering (CASE), warns that at a time when competition for the best and the brightest scientists and engineers is fierce, the UK risks becoming a less attractive destination for top engineers.
Urging the government to take action against this feared brain drain the report calls for a new strategy which brings coherence to migration and science policy and removes caps on migration of skilled scientists and engineers. Its author, CASE director Nick Dusic said, ‘The government needs to bring a new coherence to its science and migration policies, which can at times contradict each other. The new points based migration system needs to be more consistent with making sure that the best scientists and engineers are keen to work and study in the UK.’ He pointed to the US, where the tightening of immigration measures post 9/11 led to a slump in post-graduate student numbers that’s only now beginning to recover. ‘The UK,’ he writes ‘can not afford to make the same mistake.’
With signs that far-right organisations like the BNP are exploiting the current economic climate to stir up anti-immigration sentiment, this CASE report is a welcome piece of clear-thinking. If the UK can continue to be seen as an attractive destination for the world’s top scientists, we will not only enjoy the benefits of employing the world’s brightest and best, but will also succeed in inspiring home-grown talent to choose a career in an industry that is admired the world over.
Jon Excell
Deputy Editor
Readers' comments (5)
Mark Gilbert - Immigrate to Innovate | 19 Nov 2008 3:59 pm
All these initiatives just scratch at the surface. The truth is that as long as British companies continue to treat engineers as second class, with second class pay and benefits, graduate engineers and experienced engineers will continue to go elsewhere and the brain drain will continue. Many countries all over the world are running campaigns to attract British engineers by offering a better lifestyle. British companies can only attract engineers to come here by offering more, otherwise those that come for a look will not stay. Of all the overseas students that I met at university ten years ago, not one stayed in the UK. They all went home where they could have a higher standard of living for their salary.
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Stephen Wilshaw - Immigrate to Innovate | 19 Nov 2008 4:11 pm
Interesting article but could we play on the positives to keep the best people here in the UK instead of highlighting the worst scenarios? Yes, it's not good at the moment but let's talk it up not down and have the spirit to keep punching ourselves out of this instead of releasing the plans for escape tunnels.
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Graham Loakes - Immigrate to Innovate | 19 Nov 2008 4:16 pm
There is another sector to the UK engineering sphere, the small engineering company without the glamour of the Big Names/Industries. This is a sector that employs about 150 people, owned by cash strapped shareholders/families. Do these companies as a collective group employ more tech people than the giants? Whichever way you look at it, I think they employ a lot of people, a population that is rapidly getting smaller by the day..
Any way to show off the UK as a good place to engineer a living is good, but that effort needs to be spead far and wide. Assuming we have a small employer engineering sector by Xmas next year....
Graham .
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Brian - Immigrate to Innovate | 19 Nov 2008 4:56 pm
Unfortunately engineers are largely seen by the public as people that repair washing machines, and rank just below plumbers in the esteem of said British public and government.
Talking to a customer about a query on modifying a product for them - I said ‘will pass on to engineering to have a look at’ - and the customer replied 'think it’s a bit more serious change than that - don't you have a development department?'
PS - wish engineers got the same pay as plumbers :)
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MICHAEL GRIMLEY - Immigrate to Innovate | 20 Nov 2008 3:24 pm
I'd like to see much more emphasis put on home grown engineering talent rather than relying on foreign imports. Let's build up a training structure that allows young adults a chance to shine in industry, before we rush abroad and allow our children's future job propects to be lost .
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