Negative perceptions exacerbate engineering skills shortages

The engineering sector may need to ‘rebrand’ following research that found Gen Z and millennials have negative perceptions of the profession.

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Polling by strategy specialists Stonehaven shows that engineering came first when people were asked to rank the professions they most admired. It was ranged against similarly skilled professions such as designers, software developers and architects.

While 80 per cent expressed high admiration for the industry, 66 per cent said they had never thought of a career in the sector.

Across the age groups, Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) were the most reluctant to consider a career in engineering, with 30 per cent saying they would not choose it.  Around a third (34 per cent) thought the sector was too male-dominated, while 32 per cent were put off by the idea of engineering being a maths and science-related job.

Among Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996), 19 per cent said they would not consider a career in engineering and 28 per cent still thought of the sector as too male-dominated. Over a quarter (28 per cent) said they were not aware of job opportunities in the sector.

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