PROFESSION WATCH


❱❱ Employers think climate change is government responsibility (mauve panels) while skills gap difficulties are from many sources (green panels)


SKILLS SHORTAGE NEEDS ADDRESSING IF INDUSTRY IS TO MEET GOVERNMENT’S 2050 CLIMATE TARGETS


An Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) study reveals a significant gap in the skills required to tackle sustainability initiatives. Only 7 per cent of engineering


companies in the UK with a sustainability strategy say they have the skills needed to fulfil it, according to the IET. The study shows that just over half (53


per cent) of UK engineering firms think net zero by 2050 is achievable for them. When considering who should be accountable for tackling climate change, businesses think the majority of responsibility lies with national government (25 per cent), followed by business and industry (20 per cent). Over half (56 per cent) are doubtful that achieving net zero in the UK by 2050 is possible.


When addressing skills, one in two engineering firms state they are currently experiencing skills gaps (46 per cent), with most choosing to upskill/retrain existing employees (47 per cent) or hire new


34 /// Testing & Test Houses /// March 2021


employees with those skills (44 per cent). It is less common for them to recruit apprentices/graduates and provide training, although this is still an action taken by roughly a third (32 per cent). Stephanie Baxter, IET skills and


innovation lead, said: “To deliver the UK’s net-zero challenge, the standout issue with recruitment is a lack of people with the right specialist skills or knowledge and this poses a huge risk to advancing our green recovery.” This is coupled with a huge change in business priorities as a result of government actions during the Covid-19 pandemic. Whilst only 7 per cent of businesses with a green recovery strategy say they have the right skills needed to fulfil it, recruitment overall at this time is their lowest priority. Consideration must be given to the


economic impact this will have on furthering the UK’s sustainability agenda and the country’s collective ability to achieve net-zero targets by 2050.


The report also looks at the type of skills that were lacking in new recruits. Employers are divided as to what type of skills their organisation will need in order to deliver their sustainability strategy, with equal proportions citing the need for innovative thinking (62 per cent), management strategic skills (60 per cent), and agility skills (60 per cent). Baxter concluded: “The majority of


employers think their engineering and technical staff will need more skills and knowledge to respond to the changes being made to lower their environmental impact. “Therefore, it will be highly important


for these engineering employers to be able to effectively address their skills gaps, particularly looking at digital skills and complex problem solving. “Employers should also be flexible in


their expectations of young people leaving education who may have missed out on key training and practical opportunities caused by lockdown.”


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