TACKLING THE SKILLS
SHORTAGE IN ENGINEERING
s someone who has
been heavily involved in
education and training
in engineering and
technology, both at
apprenticeship levels and undergraduate
levels, one constant worry within the
industry has been the replacement of
skilled and experienced employees.
A
Research by the Royal Academy of
Engineering identified a future need to
increase the numbers in STEM education
generally to support the manufacturing
and maintenance sectors. While the intake
into graduate studies has increased over
the past 20 years, the number selecting
Engineering is still proportionally low.
While the high technology end of the
industry relies on recruiting from newly
qualified graduates and post graduates,
the manufacturing and maintenance
elements also rely on the apprenticeship
route for recruitment.
Many companies also comment that the
skill levels of newly qualified staff are not
comprehensive enough and that they
need further training or development
before they become truly useful and
productive. This therefore requires
companies to implement an in-house
culture of continuing professional
development (CPD) and support for newly
qualified recruits while trying to prosper in
an increasingly competitive environment.
It has always been argued that the best
way to develop the skills you need is to
create a good company training scheme
that has credibility in the industry, meets
the skill profile required and attracts highly
competent people to apply. It is easier for
a large company to develop such schemes
that will deliver the company’s future job
specific skill profiles. This approach is a
logical solution to any skill shortage but it
does require a commitment to sustainable
investment, even if the profit margins have
a lean year.
The recent addition of a training levy on
the large companies has focused most
to make sure they allocate their funds to
advanced or intermediate apprenticeship
schemes, but the jury is still out on
the outcome in terms of quality. The
introduction of trailblazers has, for some,
caused confusion and frustration that yet
again the available funded schemes have
changed in terms of content and criteria. refurbishment of worn components.
Training has always been a challenge for
small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that
may not