Institution responds to the announcement of a National College for Digital Skills in London in 2015

The Institution's Peter Finegold says Government needs to go much further than just offering encouraging words.

Peter Finegold, Head of Education and Skills at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said in response to the opening of a National College for Digital Skills in London in 2015:

“It is encouraging that the Government is prioritising science, maths and engineering. The Prime Minister is right to say that developing the right skills in the right sectors is crucial to creating a strong and balanced economy.

“But Government needs to go much further than just offering encouraging words. If Government is serious about encouraging more people into these sectors, much more work needs to be done to improve the poor standards of careers advice on offer to most teenagers, who often have little opportunity to find out about the range of career opportunities on offer. We need better links between schools and local industries.

“Government also needs to seriously consider the possibility of providing subsidies for students pursuing degrees in business-critical subjects like science and engineering and needs to put in place rigorous standards for apprentices to ensure they are  in industries where there is a real potential for jobs, like engineering, and that standards are verified through accreditation by bodies such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.”