Universities and Companies Working Together to Address the Skills Gap in Engineering

Universities and Companies Working Together to Address the Skills Gap in Engineering

LONDON, November 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --



Some 53% of employers find that a typical new engineering recruit does not meet their
reasonable expectations according to the Engineering and Technology Skills and Demand in
Industry report published by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). The IET
has launched a news-style programme in partnership with ITN Productions entitled
"Engineering our World" which examines the need for universities and companies to work
collaboratively in order to secure the next generation of engineers. The programme was
launched at the IET President's Address on November 11. 



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"Engineering our World' is an in-depth online programme aiming to provide a greater
understanding of the role engineering plays in our everyday lives and explores the
challenge for organisations in the industry to find and develop the best talent. With a
major skills gap and a growing demand for integrated solutions, the programme asks where
are the next generation of engineers coming from and what are organisations doing to
attract young people and women into engineering? Introduced by national newsreader Natasha
Kaplinsky, "Engineering our World" features key industry interviews and news-style reports
along with sponsored editorial profiles of some of the leading organisations.



Universities such as Queen's University Belfast and the University of Staffordshire
highlight the need to produce a different type of graduate for today's competitive
landscape and talk about their engineering programmes established in response to their
working with industrial collaborators and partners. The University of Edinburgh also
emphasises that bringing on the next generation of engineers to deliver quality research
is fundamental to sustain innovation and maintain the UK as a leader in the sector.



However, securing the next generation of talent does not stop with universities. As
National Grid CEO, Steve Holliday, says: "We need to break the stereotype of what
engineering is all about. I think we've got to do that very early with children, and help
educate parents and teachers as well (...) The only way to do this is for business to step
up and do more." Companies such as Ansaldo Nes, National Grid, Thales, or Siemens
showcased their apprenticeship schemes and mentorship programme initiatives to address
recruitment and retention. Indeed, the IET's survey findings reveal that 64% of employers
say that a shortage of engineers in the UK is a threat to their business.



Both universities and companies agree that they need to spread a message of pride and
better champion career opportunities in the sector to get students enthused, particularly
women. "Engineering our World" addresses challenges and issues, but also focuses upon the
latest advances and innovations, to celebrate the exciting and varied opportunities in
engineering.



Naomi Climer, IET President, said: "Engineering and technology has improved our
quality of life beyond recognition. The future is set to be just as exciting and
transformational.



"However, there is a serious skills shortage in engineering and we hope that this new
online programme in partnership with ITN Productions will help to inspire, inform and
influence people to understand that engineering is an exciting and rewarding career path
with excellent prospects and an opportunity to make a difference in the world."



Simon Shelley, Head of Industry News, ITN Productions said: "ITN Productions is
delighted to continue its partnership with the IET to examine the major challenge of the
skills shortage and the need for education to improve alignment with industry demands. We
were excited to explore the sector of engineering further this year to inform
professionals from the industry."



To watch the full programme, please visit the IET's website at
http://www.theiet.org/itn



Notes to editors: 



About the IET 



The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is one of the world's largest
engineering institutions with over 163,000 members in 127 countries. It is also the most
interdisciplinary - to reflect the increasingly diverse nature of engineering in the 21st
century. Energy, transport, manufacturing, information and communications, and the built
environment: the IET covers them all. The IET is working to engineer a better world by
inspiring, informing and influencing our members, engineers and technicians, and all those
who are touched by, or touch, the work of engineers. We want to build the profile of
engineering and change outdated perceptions about engineering in order to tackle the
skills gap. This includes encouraging more women to become engineers and growing the
number of engineering apprentices. For more information, visit http://www.theiet.org



About ITN Productions  



ITN Productions is ITN's bespoke production hub producing creative and commercially
valuable content for the corporate, commercial, broadcast and digital sectors. Industry
News forms part of this offering and is a communications tool for leading industry bodies
and national associations produced in a broadcast news programme format, including
interviews, news items and sponsored editorial profiles. For more information, visit
http://www.itnproductions.co.uk




 
Press contacts 

 
Robert Beahan  
The IET  
T: +44-(0)1438-767336 
M: +44-(0)7595-400912 
Email: RBeahan@theiet.org

 
Emilie Charron  
ITN Productions  
Tel: +44-(0)207-430-4708 
Email: emilie.charron@itn.co.uk  


 





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ITN Productions and the IET


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