Teach the children well
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Attitudes to manufacturing are gradually changing in the UK. It’s something we’re now being told regularly by people in industry. Whether it’s the understanding that the country needs to focus more on making things and less on financial services; the increasing popularity of television programmes about science and technology; or the series of high-profile major engineering projects currently underway in the UK at the moment; there definitely seems to be a feeling that we haven’t seen for quite a long time.
The general public is coming around to the idea that engineering and technology are interesting, valuable things, rather than old-fashioned and dirty, and even politicians seem to be queuing up to say how keen they are to support engineering and innovation in the UK. There are even signs of some joined-up policy thinking in the sector.
And yet we still have a skills gap. It’s not just the UK — we’ve spoken to German, Dutch, French and Scandinavian engineers over the past few months and they’ve mostly told us the same story. There was a lull in engineering recruitment and in the number of students applying for technology courses that lasted several decades, the average age of engineers is going up, and there still aren’t enough new engineers entering the profession to counter the number that are going to be leaving as they reach retirement. Meanwhile, the emerging Asian economies are training engineers as fast as they can.
So what still needs to be done in the UK? Talking to senior engineers at the recent MACH show and in interviews recently, a similar message seems to be coming across. Children have always been keen on the idea of engineering; and over the past decade, parents have come around to the idea that the sector represents a good place for their children to seek employment. The siren call of the City and the world of finance has lost much of its brazen lustre over the last few years. The people that still need to be convinced are the teachers.
It seems that when it comes to advice about careers and how school subjects relate to them, teachers are poorly prepared to guide students into engineering. Frequently we’re told that teachers don’t appreciate what a career in engineering might need; that they don’t understand what engineers do; and they aren’t convinced it’s a worthwhile career choice.
Of course, teachers have enough on their plates with teaching to have to worry overmuch about careers advice. But the answer seems to be fairly obvious: engineering companies have to make more of an attempt to connect with schools. All sorts of possibilities spring to mind, from helping to design curriculums, getting involved with training careers advisors, and sponsoring schools visits. Of course, many companies already get involved in this sort of event, but it needs to become a regular part of every major company and institution’s annual routine, whichever sector they’re involved in and whatever projects they’re currently working on.
Britain has no shortage of interesting, exciting engineering sectors that can attract people’s attention. You can work on racing cars in the most glamorous sport in the world. You can go out of this world, building satellites and space probes. You can build graceful bridges and soaring skyscrapers. You can work around the world. It’s not difficult to make engineering exciting. What’s a bit more challenging is to embed it into the everyday and make sure that tomorrow’s students and educators understand how what they learn day to day relates to the world around them.
It’s the most difficult job in the world, they say. But engineers are used to difficult jobs. Let’s help build people.
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Readers' comments (28)
Neil Lewin | 14 May 2012 9:21 am
If we want to entice young people into engineering it is time that Engineers and Manufacturing in general put their money where their mouth is. Last year the UK hosted the World Skills event at the Excel centre. This is the Olympics of manufacturing for young people and features mutiple teams from all countries in skills areas as diverse as confectionery making to robotics and manufacturing challenges. It is a truly massive event and the only time the Excel centre has been used to full capacity - yet for the UK event the involvement of manufacturing companies for support and presence at the show was the worst in the history of World skills.
We bemoan the lack of good people coming through to Engineering but how many of us actually make an effort to visit the local schools and colleges and work with them.
At my employer we began a program with the STEM network and once a month open our doors to local schools to visit with activities set up for the children. Surprise, surprise we are fully booked till October already!
In our experience teachers are fully committed to the advancement of career opportunities for their pupils but WE need to ensure it is Engineering that they feature in there plans.
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Anonymous | 14 May 2012 10:02 am
Have you ever come across a Careers adviser who did anything more than hand out booklets? One of my neighbours was a very academic history teacher AND Careers Master!
In a similar sense, have you ever come across an HR staff member, (used to be called Personnel) who understood the slightest thing about the people they were trying to recruit, many were merely paper pushers.
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Anonymous | 14 May 2012 1:08 pm
I have still 20 years till retirement. At an age where people get fired just because they are too old, why should I be interested in getting young people getting my job?
People over 50 are usually considered too daft to operate a computer.
How old is Bill Gates? How old was Steve Jobs?
Maybe kids would look differently at old people when they realize there wouldn't be any iPhone or Android without those guys and gals who are retiring soon.
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Ralf | 14 May 2012 1:18 pm
After I'm through with it I leave my copy of the engineer in the bus with the kids going to school.
If only one inquisitive chap picks it up, there might still be hope.
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Mr Enquisitive | 14 May 2012 2:26 pm
I work for Babcock in Rosyth who have an exceptional in house designate engineer & graduate training schemes.
It would be good to see more projects like the bloodhound project where kids get to see the real work done by engineers.
Kids also need to shown things that have been achieved by engineers from large structures like the Forth Bridge & Falkirk wheel to more everyday items like the computer mouse.
Schools need to get involved in mini projects like building a model race car where they compete against other schools or designing a bridge not only they would be getting into engineering it would be fun too. More emphasis needs to be put on making engineering challenging & fun to keep kids interested.
As many of the previous comments have said engineers are portrayed as washing machine repairers and the likes we need to show what engineers really are.
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David | 18 May 2012 3:25 pm
To promote engineering in schools it must be shown what engineering does rather than the qualifications needed. Get a project going for schools to compete in making something containing several fields of engineering
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Anonymous | 21 May 2012 2:57 pm
I have never been mistaken for the man in the white suit who fixes washing machines, nor have I ever had a big issue with status. When working in schools, a brief explanation of what I do has always been enough. I seem to get sufficient respect as a professional engineer who can incidentally frequently fix washing machines and cars. Remember, respect is always earned, not given as a right.
I wish the wingeing inferiority complex ridden moaners who perpetuate this complete and utter rubbish and talk down our profession would go off and do something else. Engineering can do very well without you.
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Martin | 7 Dec 2012 1:20 pm
As a route for getting children interested in engineering how about the 'green power' challange? http://www.greenpower.co.uk/
I have been involved as a volunteer at our local school this for 6 years now, its incredible rewarding passing on knowledge and skills. It’s not just about making it, but the design, funding, reporting, analysing, machining, team building, networking, web design / editing......, the list goes on in the same way as an engineering company would.
Our team web page can be found linked below, we try to share all that we have learnt & do with anyone who takes the time to look for it. Have a look, see what you think.
http://www.greenpower.beamweb.co.uk/files/RotaryRacer/
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