Engineering news
Only 24% of people aged 11-19 know “a lot, or quite a lot” about what people working in engineering do, according to the new figures from EngineeringUK. The annual figures show a decline in understanding across the age group.
Understanding amongst parents has also decreased following an improvement in 2016. Perhaps most troubling was the percentage of teachers who know a lot, or quite a lot about what engineers do – that number fell from roughly two-thirds in 2013 to about a third now.
While 42% of people aged 11-19 said that making a difference and having a positive impact on the world is important when choosing a career, almost half had never thought about becoming an engineer.
An IMechE report from 2017 showed a similar issue – young people knowing engineering is important, but not understanding what it is.
“It’s a huge problem,” said IMechE chief executive Dr Colin Brown to Professional Engineering. “The Institution has long said that the fundamental issue is there are very few opportunities in school, because it’s not a taught subject and the people who teach aren’t engineers… you would be amazed if it was the other way around.”
Teachers must be supported to help enthuse school pupils about the ‘made world’, he said.
Despite the scale of the issue, Dr Brown said that things are gradually changing thanks to improved awareness and new campaigns from the government. The Industrial Strategy has highlighted the demand for new engineers, while Brexit has compounded the need for fresh teaching talent.
“There’s a general understanding of how bad it is,” said Dr Brown. “There are more ways to crack this nut, and awareness is definitely one of them.”
Making a difference
The Royal Academy of Engineering is launching This is Engineering Day on 6 November, to help raise awareness and understanding during Tomorrow’s Engineers Week.
“Engineering and technology play an incredible role in shaping the world around us and in addressing some of society’s biggest challenges, from providing a sustainable supply of food, water and clean energy, to advancing healthcare, and keeping us safe and secure,” said Royal Academy chief executive Hayaatun Sillem. “We know that young people increasingly want to tackle these issues and make a difference in the world, but unfortunately the lack of understanding around engineering is stopping them from exploring careers that will enable them to do this.”
She added: “This matters because we face an estimated shortfall of up to 59,000 engineers each year in the UK, and there is a pressing need to diversify our engineering workforce, since only 12% of professional engineers are female and less than 9% are from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. That’s why we’re making 6 November This is Engineering Day, to raise awareness of what an engineer is and celebrate those that are shaping the world we live in.”
The EngineeringUK survey included 2,516 pupils aged 7-19, 1,023 educators and 1,810 members of the public.
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