Engineering news
More than half (62%) of engineering employers say graduates do not have the right skills for today’s workplace, according to a report by the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
The 2016 Skills and Demand in Industry Report revealed that 68% of employers are concerned that the education system will struggle to keep up with the skills required for technological change.
The survey found that 40% of those businesses surveyed believe that their recruitment will be negatively impacted over the next four to five years now that Britain is to leave the EU.
To address these growing concerns over skills gaps in the engineering workforce, particularly among graduates and school leavers, 91% of companies agreed that more employers need to provide work experience for those in education or training to improve the supply of engineers and technicians.
Naomi Climer, IET president, said: “Demand for engineers is high but the report reveals deeper concern than ever around the skills and experience of our future workforce.
“As we are facing an engineering shortfall in the next decade and some uncertainty around skills following Brexit, it is more important than ever that we develop the next generation of ‘home grown’ engineering and technology talent.”
She added: “One of the biggest challenges appears to be recruiting candidates with the right practical skills, which is why the IET is launching a new campaign to highlight the benefits of employers offering quality work experience to engineering students. Employers and educators must continue to strengthen their working relationships to ensure that the work experience they offer is designed with the skills gaps in mind.”
The report also found that 9% of the UK engineering and technology workforce are female. Meanwhile, 63% of businesses don’t have gender diversity initiatives in place, 73% don’t have LGBT or ethnic diversity initiatives in place, and 40% of employers agree that their organisation could do more to recruit people from diverse backgrounds.
This is the eleventh year that the IET has published its skills report, based on extended telephone interviews with more than 400 engineering employers across the UK.