UK public backs support for aspiring engineers

Of the 2,000 members of the public surveyed, 75 per cent said that increasing the supply of science and engineering professionals is essential to the economic wellbeing of the UK, with 72 per cent saying that boosting the UK’s engineering, manufacturing and science sectors would help bring the UK out of recession.

According to the IMechE, there was also backing for the government to provide more support for STEM students, with 59 per cent saying that they would back proposals for government to contribute £5,000 each year towards tuition fees for UK students taking STEM degrees. This compares with 11 per cent who would disagree.

The results follow the announcement in the Queens Speech yesterday that government is to take steps to ensure that it becomes typical for those leaving school to start a traineeship, apprenticeship, or to go to university.

In a statement, Dr Colin Brown, director of Engineering at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said, ‘While the pledge in the Queen’s Speech to provide more support to school-leavers is welcome, what these results show that there is strong public support for Government to do more to back UK STEM skills in particular.