Editor
The Engineer
After a day of headlines reiterating the government’s predictions of how unpleasant it’s all about to get for everyone, Monday evening’s Royal Academy of Engineering awards was a welcome tonic.
While the talk in Westminster was of savage spending cuts, just a few miles away the cavernous opulence of London’s Guildhall echoed to more optimistic conversation of growth, opportunity and ingenuity.
The shortlisted entries for the academy’s MacRobert award – spanning some of the key areas of UK engineering expertise – did little to dent the mood. And the winning entry – Inmarsat’s Broadband Global Area Network service (BGAN) – was a potent reminder not just of the UK’s great expertise in space technology, but also of the role that the highest of high technology can often play in addressing some of our most fundamental challenges. The system was used to coordinate aid efforts in the aftermath of January’s Haiti earthquake.
But at events like this, it’s sometimes the off-the-record comments and anecdotes that provide most telling snapshot of the state of industry and the dinner-table chit-chat was unremittingly positive.
It is of course a subjective view – coloured by the bonhomie of a big occasion – but if there’s a message to be distilled from the engineers gathered at Monday’s event it is that the UK possesses the skills, technology and expertise to address some of its biggest challenges, create wealth for the economy and lead the world. One of the few positives to come from the financial downturn was an acknowledgement at the highest level of the importance of engineering. In the desire to slash the deficit it would be a grave mistake to pull the rug from the UK’s burgeoning areas of expertise.
It is good to see that there are bodies in engineering that are upbeat. The industry has taken a severe beating from high employment costs, burgeoning human rights and quality of life requirements allowing huge amounts of time away from the desk or work bench and also the questionable educations standards of school leavers.
All we can hope for is that the coalition government will not spend all of its time culling the public employees who keep pushing the same pound coin from one place to another, in an attempt to reduce this deficit and put more investment into accelerating the growth of industry and repairing the education system which is where the cure for our ills will be found.
Trevor Best
This small island of ours, possesses a unique wealth of talent, old and young alike and do ‘Boffins in Garden Sheds’ like no other nation. I feel privileged to have been at the cutting-edge of such technology projects such as Concorde and latterly many Formula 1 innovations. Our Government must recognise this unique ability and exploit this for commercial purposes so we, and the future generations can reap the rewards for these efforts.
This government could make a good start to encourage graduates in scientific and engineering disciplines by removing all fees from related subjects. These skills are what the UK needs to generate real wealth.
I think its about time engineering was more high profile, and Governments understood both its functions and contributions to the economic situation. This raising of its profile must also be done in the eyes of Joe Public so they see and have a greater understanding of engineering on their lives. When a public poll shows an actor playing a role of a car mechanic in a soap is their opinion of an engineer, something needs doing to educate the public, and Government.
Consideration also needs giving to facing the future problems of engineering, providing jobs for unemployed engineers, and the long term recruitment of engineers and enhancing their skills through ongoing training. What we face is a world market where our skills and talents are being lured abroad with long term, highly paid positions, and many engineering skills are being lost to the opposition, something which needs redressing.
Having just returned from the Mach 2010 and Subcon exhibition at the NEC I am greatly encouraged by the engineering ability that is available in Britain. There are some really good engineering companies about these days and resident right here in the UK.
I was greatly encouraged when I heard David Cameron say that too much emphasis was placed on the city generating income by the last government and that he’d like to get back to a manufacturing base. If he’d only attended the exhibition he would have seen just how good we can be.
In the words of that other great Conservative during tha last war – “Give us the tools and we’ll finish the job”, but we will need incentive from government and support.
We have had years of politicians spin, huff and puff – we see clearly the results. The new coalition will not achieve unless they adopt a new mantra of VALUE ADDED. They must create the environment for value added growth. That will create real jobs which contribute to the exchequer. This can be financed by bringing the public sector back into control. Given the value added opportunity the engineer will make it work.
Engineering in the UK – of course it has the skills, but until engineering is recognised as a profession on the same level as doctors and lawyers, it has no chance shine.
Come to Germany, many of you will already know, the status of an engineer is acknowledged here as one of the top professions.
Until people realise engineers are NOT mechanics and use maths as their everyday language and NOT monkey wrenches, only then there will be a stepchange in understanding.
What has engineering done for us in the everyday world? EVERYTHING!
For the las 20 years the IT industry has attracted many of the brightest talents away from engineering and manufacturing.
The idea of working in a factory was not very pleasing. The problem here is the percived idea of what manufacturing is.
We need to show the UK that manufacturing is hi-tec can be exciting and you get more fulfillment from creating something new.
Rather than bickering about the status of engineering, which whilst a very worthy cause will take at least a generation to solve, how about getting events such as the RAE awards in the front line popular news media so the potential engineers of the future and the public at large can see what British engineering is actually doing. Also for many techies a sight more interesting than the BAFTAs and such like.
I agree with making engineering courses more affordable and accessible, but to the right candidates. Some students seem to be able navigate a way through university just by remembering formulas and methods, passing exams, but having little or no understanding of the subject.