EDITOR’S CHOICE
EDUCATION SHAKE-UP NEEDED
ICHEME
UPSKILL ENGINEERS AND SUPPORT APPRENTICESHIPS,
URGES NEW REPORT INTO ENGINEERING SKILLS
A shake-up in UK engineering education
is needed to address the current skills
gap and shortage of engineers, a new
report revealed today. Engineering
Skills for the Future - the 2013 Perkins
review revisited calls for more support
for higher education institutions and
apprenticeships, and the upskilling
of engineers to manage increasing
digitalisation in their industry. Work placements were highlighted as
an advantage to employment prospects
in IChemE’s 2017 report Social mobility
and the chemical engineering profession
in the UK. Support for the professional
development of young chemical
engineers and the provision of industrial
work placements are actively encouraged
in the requirements to become an IChemE
Corporate Partner.
The report marks five years on from
Engineering skills: Perkins review; when
chemical engineer Professor John Perkins,
a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical
Engineers (IChemE), was commissioned
by the Government to undertake the first
review of engineering education from
primary to professional level. The uncertainty around Britain’s
impending exit from the EU has also been
highlighted in the report as a potential
issue. Almost 560,000 EU Nationals are
employed in UK engineering sectors,
jobs that look uncertain with no clear
immigration policy post-Brexit. The issue is
particularly problematic when considering
the UK current shortfall of around 37,000
– 59,000, in engineering roles requiring
Level 3+ skills.
His latest instalment revisits the original
challenges and recommendations set out
in 2013; in order to provide a roadmap
for government and the engineering
community to action, now and into the
future.
There has been increased support for
apprenticeships and the introduction of
Technician Level (T Levels) in the last five
years. Today’s report recommends that
the recently introduced apprenticeship
levy should give more spending control
to organisations; and subject content in
T Levels should provide a broad technical
education across disciplines, to enable
students to have a broad range of routes
into an engineering career, or higher
education.
IChemE is supportive of this work. It has
partnered with the University of Chester
to offer the first chemical engineering
degree apprenticeship in the UK and is
currently working to ensure the degree is
IChemE accredited.
According to the report, the UK’s track
record of work placements is poor, and
organisations have found it challenging to
support the 45-day industrial placement
required as part of T Levels. With 90%
of the engineering businesses having
fewer than 10 people, there are concerns
the infrastructure is not robust enough
to support and nurture professional
development through work placements.
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PECM Issue 37
Since the original Perkins Review, scant
progress has been made in addressing
the UK’s chronic engineering skills gap
too. The report calls on government and
the engineering community to upskill
engineers and technicians to prepare for
a wave of disruptive digital technologies
into industry. It is hoped that Brexit
presents an opportunity here, providing
a stimulus for employers to think more
strategically about unlocking the skills
potential of their workforce.
Professional Engineering Institutions
are cited as having a pivotal role in the
upskilling of engineers, by providing a
‘hub’ between industry and individuals to
ensure both needs are met. Professional
registration was also specified as
conferring mobility to engineers, as they
highlight key competencies and skills.
IChemE contributed to the Higher
Education section of the report, which
acknowledges there has been an upward
trend in the number of undergraduate
engineering students since the last
review. Female representation remains
stubbornly low at an overall 15% across
all engineering disciplines. However,
latest figures from the UK’s Universities
and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
reveals that chemical engineer bucks the
trend, with 27% of undergraduates being
female.
In Scotland and Wales post-16 academic
pathways are becoming broader and
more inclusive. However, the report
recommends an urgent review of post-
16 education in England, to encourage
more students from a broader range of
backgrounds into further and higher
engineering education. The current
system was criticised for narrowing
education choices, potentially closing the
door to technical and creative careers.
The report also recommends that the
engineering community, including
Professional Engineering Institutions,
sign up to a Code of Practice to
reduce fragmentation and improve
the coordination of STEM outreach in
schools. Currently over 600 organisations
operate in the ‘UK STEM education’ space;
however only 28% of 11-14 year olds have
participated in STEM careers activities in
the last year.
Libby Steele, Head of Education Affairs at
IChemE, said:
“We’re delighted to have contributed
to the report and welcome the
recommendations. We are supporting
chemical engineers in several areas
of professional development and will
continue to work collaboratively with
others to support this.
“There is so much diversity to a career in
engineering, highlighted by the This is
Engineering campaign. As a professional
qualifying body and a learned society,
we encourage students to consider all
routes to a career in chemical and process
engineering.”
The publication of the report coincides
with the launch of a new set of adverts
from This Is Engineering, a campaign to
raise awareness of the breadth of careers
in engineering. The campaign is led
by the Royal Academy of Engineering
and was developed in response to a
recommendation in the original Perkins
Review.
www.icheme.org