TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Insight
DRIVING CHANGE SO MORE YOUNG PEOPLE CHOOSE ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY CAREERS
How EngineeringUK’s efforts to get more young people into engineering and technology are inspiring the next generation
M
any industries, and especially those related to technology and innovation,
require a workforce skilled and proficient in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) fields. STEM disciplines drive innovation and technological advancement, leading to the development of new products, services, and solutions that improve our lives and address global challenges. Addressing the UK’s STEM skills shortages requires sustained efforts from both the public and private sectors to ensure a steady supply of skilled workers in engineering and technology.
EngineeringUK’s vision is for the UK to have
the diverse workforce needed for engineering and technology to thrive, to drive economic prosperity, to improve sustainability, and to achieve Net Zero. To really thrive, we need a stronger, more representative workforce, and for that, we have to do things differently to make engineering more attractive. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to enable more young people, from all backgrounds, to be informed, inspired, and to progress into engineering and technology.
In order to join the engineering and tech
workforce, young people need to know what roles are available, be attracted to them, and understand all the potential routes in. However, our ‘Attitudes & Knowledge’ research (published in December 2022:
https://tinyurl.com/36znzvy3) found that only 55% of school students said they know what engineers do – 64% for tech – and 60% said they did not know what subjects/ qualifications they need to become an engineer. While 51% said they were interested in a career in engineering, much smaller numbers act on this interest.
STEM outreach is therefore vital for inspiring and preparing the next generation of STEM professionals. It’s essential in helping to shape the knowledge, perceptions, and understanding that young people have about the breadth of careers available, and the variety of routes into those careers. We know that, in general, school students who attend one or more STEM careers activity are 3.5 times more likely to know what people working in engineering do, and 3.4 times more likely to consider a career in engineering. In addition to running our own engagement
Moira Shaftoe
Moira is EngineeringUK’s Head of Professional Institutions and Partnerships. Her role sits within the Business & Industry team, incorporating EngineeringUK’s Corporate Membership Programme. Her remit is to work collaboratively with the engineering community, supporting organisations of all sizes to attract talent into their business, helping them engage with young people in the most effective, impactful ways, and improving the quality of engineering engagement activity. She is a STEM Ambassador, an honorary Apprenticeship Ambassador – supporting the North East network, and an Enterprise Advisor with the Careers and Enterprise Company, providing support to a state secondary school in Easington. Prior to joining EngineeringUK, she worked in educational project management leading a variety of exciting programmes, including South Tyneside Manufacturing Forum’s ‘Made in South Tyneside’ Education Initiative and TDR Trust STEM Education Outreach Programme. For more information about how EngineeringUK can support your organisation please contact Moira at:
mshaftoe@engineeringuk.com.
16 Health Estate Journal June 2024
programmes and activities for schools (https://
tinyurl.com/mrx22kde), we lead efforts to grow the collective impact of all engineering and technology inspiration and careers activities with young people of school age. By working together, we can ensure that more students participate in quality engineering and tech experiences, improve the coordination, inclusivity, targeting, efficiency, and impact of engagements, and create and share relevant, inspiring, and accessible, careers resources. One of the ways we do this is through The
Tomorrow’s Engineers Code (https://code.
tomorrowsengineers.org.uk/). Co-created by and for the engineering sector, The Code is a community working towards common goals to increase the diversity and number
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