Memorandum 174
Submission from the Engineering and Technology
Board
SUMMARY
Engineering is vital not only to our economy
but also to solving many of society's most pressing problems.
Engineers are key to providing solutions to global challenges
such as climate change, renewable energy and clean water. Consequently
it is vital that the UK can access a ready supply of highly skilled
engineers and technicians. Government, through its Science and
Innovation policy and programmes, has a vital role to play in
ensuring a well founded science and technology base. Within Government,
whilst DIUS leads on Science, Innovation and Skills, the role
and contribution of engineers, engineering and technology impact
upon virtually all Government Departments.
The Engineering and Technology Board's (ETB)
purpose is "to promote the vital role of engineers, engineering
and technology in our society and to inspire people to pursue
careers at all levels in engineering and technology".
Its strategic goals are:
- to improve the perception of engineers
and engineering;
- to improve the supply of engineers; and
- to raise awareness and credibility of the
ETB with key stakeholders.
The ETB partners business and industry, Government
and the wider science and technology community: producing evidence
on the state of engineering; sharing knowledge within engineering;
and inspiring young people to choose a career in engineering,
matching employers' demand for skills.
We recognise the crucial role that government
plays in driving forwad the innovation agenda and specifically
welcome its interest in harnessing enginering skills and technologies
for UK plc through its Enginering Inquiry. The ETB has already
responded to this major inquiry into engineering and supports
the undertaking of this case study Engineering in Government.
In this regard we would remind the committee that ETB-commissioned
research, which quantifies the contribution of Science, Engineering
and Technology (SET) to the UK economy, indicates that SET-intensive
sectors produced £252.3 billion (27.3%) of the total UK gross
value added (GVA) in 2002 and that the high SET-intensive sectors
contributed 27.1% of the improvement in labour productivity over
1993 to 2000: science, engineering and technology are key drivers
of productivity.
Additionally, there are about 2.5 million people
in SET occupations in the UK, both within the SET intensive sectors
and elsewhere, including services. SET skills are fundamental
to our economy's success, yet among SET employers and occupations,
women represent a significantly under-utilised resource. Also
appropriate skills at the technician level are becoming scarce.
As well as the above general comment, the ETB
also provides the following specific response to issues cited
in the Engineering in Government case study.
1. THE ROLE
AND EFFECTIVENESS
OF THE
GOVERNMENT OFFICE
FOR SCIENCE
AND THE
CHIEF SCIENTIFIC
ADVISERS IN
PROVIDING ENGINEERING
ADVICE ACROSS
GOVERNMENT AND
COMMUNICATING ISSUES
RELATING TO
ENGINEERING IN
GOVERNMENT TO
THE PUBLIC
(a) We note that many of the science and technology
issues facing Government are common to several Departments, so
individual Chief Scientific Advisers (CSA) will be frequently
called upon to advise on matters which have common technological
foundations. We also note that the individual backgrounds of CSA's
are diverse and complementary. Despite the formal job title, it
should be recognised that some are distinguished engineers. The
input for engineering from suitably qualified personnel must be
maintained.
(b() We commend the coordinating initiatives
of the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and groups of individual
CSAs in tapping into their collective experience and the UK expert
base through the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering
and individual science and engineering institutions. This is particularly
important in new and emerging areas of which sustainable systems
engineering is a good example.
2. THE USE
OF ENGINEERING
ADVICE IN
GOVERNMENT POLICY
MAKING AND
PROJECT DELIVERY,
INCLUDING EXAMPLES
OF POLICY
DECISIONS OR
PROJECT DELIVERY
THAT HAVE
BEEN OR
WILL BE
TAKEN WITH
OR WITHOUT
ENGINEERING ADVICE
(a) Science, engineering and technology have
evolved into a continuum. Thus it is often difficult to separate
their individual roles in providing solutions to the sorts of
problems that impinge upon Government policy. Government is, therefore,
unlikely to seek engineering advice in isolation but rather advice
that is underpinned by mathematics, science engineering and technology.
For example, dealing with the outbreak of Foot and Mouth depended
upon the combined advice of mathematicians, chemists, biochemists
and engineers. Similarly the risk management of flooding in the
UK (post Hurricane Katrina) involved advice from across the spectrum
of leading edge mathematical modelling to heavy civil engineering
advice sourced from our Institutions.
3. HOW GOVERNMENT
IDENTIFIES THE
NEED FOR
ENGINEERING ADVICE
AND HOW
GOVERNMENT SOURCES
ENGINEERING ADVICE
(a) Engineering professionals are members of
Institutions and networks of peers. The Chief Scientific Advisers
and their staff are well plugged into these networks so they are
likely to be only one or two steps away from independent authoritative
specialist advice.
(b) The vast majority of the UK's top engineers
are Fellows of the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering
and the major Professional Engineering Institutions. The Chief
Scientific Advisers fall into this group themselves. The Fellows
are, therefore, the group that are the source of expert engineering
advice.
(c) The major challenge is for the Chief Scientific
Adviser on behalf of the Government, to determine the nature of
the advice that is currently needed and importantly identify future
issues where early advice could be sought.
4. THE STATUS
OF ENGINEERING
AND ENGINEERS
WITHIN THE
CIVIL SERVICE,
INCLUDING ASSESSMENTS
OF THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF
THE SCIENCE
AND ENGINEERING
FAST STREAMS,
AND THE
ROLE AND
CAREER PROSPECTS
OF SPECIALIST
ENGINEERS IN
THE CIVIL
SERVICE
(a) In some Government Departments the term "engineer"
was synonymous with "technician" so that professional
engineers were described as "scientists". It is important
that the civil service recognises and embraces the professionalism
and contribution of its graduate scientists and engineers.
(b) The science and engineering institutions
have professional competence-based grades of membership that have
international currency.
(c) The ETB recommends that the effectiveness,
status and career prospects of the science and engineering members
the civil service, including fast streamers, would be greatly
improved if they were encouraged to follow the initial and continuous
professional development (IPD/ CPD) offered by a science or engineering
institution.
(d) Governments Departments should pay the fees
for such membership and professional development.
(e) We also note and welcome the recent announcement
by DIUS through its current A Vision for Science and Society
consultation para. 6.12. which states: Within government, the
Government's Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA) is leading work to
strengthen the skills and raise the profile of the science and
engineering community within the Civil Service, a major employer
of scientifically skilled workers. Key to achieving this is the
revitalisation of the HoSEP (Head of Science and Engineering Profession)
network.
5. THE ROLE
AND EFFECTIVENESS
OF PROFESSIONAL
ENGINEERS AND
THE ENGINEERING
COMMUNITY IN
PROMOTING ENGINEERING
AND PROVIDING
ENGINEERING ADVICE
TO GOVERNMENT
AND THE
CIVIL SERVICE
(a) The role of the ETB is to promote the vital
contribution of engineers, engineering and technology to our society.
This includes their promotion to Government and the civil service.
(b) In this context "the ETB" means
the Chairman, Chief Executive and the other fifteen members of
the ETB Board.
(c) The ETB believes that with a newly constituted
Board which is more representative of the broad engineering community
coupled with a proactive partnership based engagement strategy
the Government and the civil service will experience a step change
in the effectiveness of the promotion of engineering.
6. INTERNATIONAL
EXAMPLES OF
HOW ENGINEERS
AND ENGINEERING
ADVICE ARE
IMBEDDED IN
GOVERNMENT
(a) Generally, other nations do not have the
multiplicity of engineering institutions (nor the rich science
and technology base). In these cases, independent advice is achieved
through the single professional institution/academy. In others,
there are large Government funded agencies that provide expert
advice. We would suggest that DIUS should look at these different
national models with the view to extracting best practice that
can be translated into the UK.
September 2008
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