Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 10 | Page 76

76 | JADE
ARTICLE #5 | 77
KATHRINE JACKSON, BARBARA DALE, & LOU TAYLOR-MURISON
skills and capabilities for the future (p.7). A proactive approach
is therefore needed to address the wider skills shortages, with an
estimated shortfall of more than 55,000 in transport infrastructure
by 2020 (Ibid., p.12), and to meet the new technological challenges
in the industry, for example, new emerging markets for Intelligent
Mobility (Ibid., p.42).
The 'Industrial Strategy' highlights the government’s commitment to
improving the skills of the current and future workforce to deliver its
ambition to become a ‘world leader in shaping the future of mobility’
(p.49). The 'Transport Investment Strategy – Moving Britain Ahead'
explains the need to ‘improve technical education, training and
qualifications, particularly in key sectors such as infrastructure, and in
Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects’ (p.66)
and refers to the 2016 'Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy', which
sets out priorities for developing industry-related skills. Government
plans to invest an additional £406m in digital, technical and maths
education is expected to help address the shortage of skills in these
areas ('Industrial Strategy'. p.15).
Since 2009, motor vehicle manufacturers’ expenditure in research
and development has increased year on year, with a 20% growth
between 2015 and 2016, reaching £3.4bn in 2016 ('Automotive
Sector Deal', p.6). The ‘Automotive Sector Deal’ (2018) aims to build
on the strengths of the UK automotive sector and further develop
the 2009 collaborative partnership established between government
and industry, securing joint investment and long-term commitments
in areas including the design and development of connected and
autonomous vehicles (CAV), the research and development of
battery technology and accelerating the manufacture of ultra-low
and zero emission vehicles. New challenges facing this sector
include: remaining competitive by adapting to changes in the way
‘cars are built, powered and driven’; the modernisation of existing
infrastructure to ensure accessibility in the future; and preparing for
the impact on the sector post Brexit with a current 50% reliance on
exports to the EU (Ibid., p.6).
KEELE UNIVERSITY HIGHER LEVEL SKILLS NEEDS RESEARCH
commits the sector to adopting a new strategic approach to skills
development, involving a government and industry collaboratively
produced skills strategy and government ambition for a ‘a major
upgrade to the UK’s infrastructure’ (p.13) and key infrastructure
related priorities (p.11).
An Ageing Society
The ageing society 'Grand Challenge’ is built on forecasts which
suggest that, ‘by 2040, one in eight people in the UK will be aged
over 75 – an increase from one in 12 today’ (Industrial Challenge. 2017,
p.77). With an increasing number of older citizens, Britain needs to
create the right kind of environment to facilitate independent living
for longer. This can be achieved with innovative practice and the
production and facilitation of age-related products and services, for
example:
• new technology such as smart home technologies, wearable
devices and tech enabled health and care services (p.53)
• opportunities for older citizens to continue to contribute through
the re-design of jobs and workplaces to better use older workers’
skills and experience (Ibid.)
• employer investment in career long learning for their workforce
(p.94)
• worker flexibility to help balance work with caring responsibilities
(p.53)
• new housing models (p.52)
• innovative savings products for retirement and retirement
planning (Ibid)
In addition, there are increasing caring demands on those of working
age and increased health and social care costs, which necessitate
innovative thinking and a strategic approach. The Strategy states
that ‘without action, an ageing population could reduce the size
of our workforce and lead to lower productivity’ (Ibid., p.53) and
employers will need to play a vital role by adopting new ways of
working in relation to the retention, retraining and recruitment of
older workers.
Engineering accounts for a significant proportion of the overall
UK workforce. The Office for National Statistics analysed the
engineering sector on Engineering UK’s behalf and found that some
‘5.66 million people worked in UK engineering enterprises in 2016’.
This represents 18.9% of the UK’s total workforce ('Engineering UK
2018 – State of Engineering', p.175). Demand for high-skilled jobs in
this sector is rising due to technological advancement. On 12 March 2018, a government press release' 4 announced a £300m
competitive fund through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
This is to fund research and business development of innovations
and new technologies, with £98 million of the fund committed
In the Industrial Strategy, the government refers to ‘the essential
attributes of every successful economy’ as the five foundations of
productivity, with infrastructure being one of these (p.14). To build the
skills needed for the future, the deal with the construction industry 4. 'Government Announces 300 Million for Landmark Ageing Society Grand
Challenge', March 2018. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-
announces-300-million-for-landmark-ageing-society-grand-challenge.
[Accessed on 16 th March 2018].