Engineering news
A poll of a cross-section of UK residents has found that more people would encourage a young person to become an engineer than a doctor, accountant or banker.
The poll, carried out by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) of a cross-section of 1,000 members of the public, found that 86% would encourage a young person to become an engineer.
Of the four options offered, engineering was the most popular at 86%, with 80% saying they would encourage a young person to become a doctor, 56% an accountant, and just 36% who said they would encourage a young person to become a banker.
Peter Finegold, head of education and skills at the IMechE, said: “The results of this poll are both encouraging and surprising. We face a shortfall of 30,000 qualified engineers every year coming through our education system. This result suggests however that basic demand is there and that the public already has some understanding of the extraordinarily diverse and valuable careers available in engineering.
“Getting more young people into engineering isn’t just about helping people to pursue exciting careers, but about ensuring the UK has the right skills to enable the country to prosper.
“Much more needs to be done to ensure we get the growth in UK engineers this country needs, through better careers advice, establishing better links between schools and local employers, and a fundamental rethink in the education system to boost Science Engineering Technology and Maths (STEM) education in schools.”
The poll is released ahead of the Institution’s new research set for release later this year called Big Ideas in Engineering Education which looks at radical new thinking to boost the number of people pursuing STEM careers.
It also comes in alignment with Tomorrow's Engineers Week 2015. Now in its third year, the week aims to shine a spotlight on engineering careers and attract the best and brightest talent to the 1.82 million engineering roles needed before 2022.