Covering cutting-edge engineering sectors, advanced manufacturing methods, education and employer demands, IMechE Focus: Skills and Recruitment (27 April-1 May) set out to bridge the skills gap and help you have a successful career.
Here are some of the most important takeaways from three of the 11 sessions in the webinar series.
Employers need to speak up on hydrogen
The hydrogen economy and carbon capture will soon need “quite a substantial workforce”, according to Jude Knight from Cogent Skills. Previous government ambitions for 10 gigawatts of hydrogen production capacity would need a direct workforce of 29,000 people, she said, with more than 30,000 indirect roles – up from about 1,600 currently. Carbon capture could require 15,000 workers.
Despite this significant future demand, the head of skills for clean growth at Cogent – which works on behalf of the science industries and leads the collaborative Hydrogen Skills Alliance forum – said there are “some quite distinct issues with skills development”. These include a need for new training providers and a lack of visible demand.
“Although we know that the hydrogen economy is going to scale up quite dramatically, quite quickly, at the moment there isn’t that signalling from employers that they are going to need skills. It’s not loud enough… that employer voice needs aggregating and amplifying,” she said.
Rapid adoption of new technologies will also require as-yet-unknown skillsets, she continued. “New technology is being developed, but there is a piece of work to do to understand who is going to be needed, and what skills are going to be needed in industry in order to mainstream and properly use that developing technology.”
The Hydrogen Skills Alliance is starting to tackle those challenges, she said. A recent accelerator project ‘mapped’ 22 critical carbon capture occupations and 17 new hydrogen occupations, developed new qualifications and deployed sector experts to train 80 students.
Your skills could shape the future of the profession
Experienced engineers often have decades of in-depth expertise at their disposal. That proficiency is an invaluable resource for employers – and it could also unlock the next generation of talent.
This is particularly true in further education (FE), with learners aged 16 or over who are not studying for a degree, said Sunita Suman from the Department for Education. Opportunities to make a difference include bringing up-to-date practice into teaching, ensuring qualifications reflect real-world expectations and helping to develop job-ready skills.
“Colleges are seeking skilled and talented professionals like yourself to train the next generation of workers in a range of specialisms, including engineering and manufacturing, and in subject areas such as mechanical, CAD design, advanced manufacturing and mechatronics,” she said.
“FE is a natural progression for both experienced or later-career professionals. The great thing is you don’t have to leave your role or the sector. There are… an abundance of roles available, which are flexible: so full-time, part-time or ad hoc. This means you can have the best of both worlds, in continuing to work in an industry that you love while sharing your skills in FE.”
The member of the FE recruitment team detailed three entry routes, including job searches, on-the-job training and teaching qualifications. She also highlighted available resources, including a government website and dedicated advisers, encouraging attendees to explore those options.
Apprenticeships can open doors into the armed forces
Engineering apprenticeships can “open so many doors” into the armed forces, said Royal Air Force Corporal Jay Wright during ‘Inside the Ranks – The Apprentice Engineer Experience’. “The way you’re put into it, your main focus is to complete it, which is a really good perk. It’s a lot easier, and you can do it a lot quicker.”
Hosted by IMechE senior defence liaison manager Lara Mallett, the session explored what life is really like in the armed forces, including the training, the technology, deployments and some common myths.
Completing an apprenticeship in the armed forces offers a very different experience to civilian opportunities, agreed Lance Corporal Anthony Bridgeman from the Royal Marines. “It’s not like a normal role,” he said. “You’re a marine first, and then you have the role… there’s a lot of variety you can do in the apprenticeship, and also there’s opportunity.”
If you were not registered for the event but would like to watch the sessions on demand for free, please contact the IMechE Event Enquiries team at eventenquires@imeche.org.
IMechE Focus returns in June with Power and Energy week (1-5 June). The free-to-attend webinar sessions will explore emerging power generation technologies, the evolving energy mix and the engineering required to secure a clean and reliable future energy system. Learn more and register now.
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.