Memorandum 19
Submission from the Engineering Professors'
Council
SUMMARY
The Engineering Professors' Council has identified
a number of issues, which it regards as being of particular significance.
These include the status of professional engineers and engineering.
The role of engineers and in particular their importance in innovation,
development and sustainability and hence their importance to the
UK economy are stressed.
The shortage of engineers and the problems of
attracting students are looked at and some possible courses of
action outlined. The need for more timely and well informed careers
advice is also highlighted. The role of engineers in research
and development and the need for well resourced university research
is discussed as are the EPC's concerns with the proposed new funding
mechanism for Research Excellence. The proactive work being done
by the EPC in looking at the future of university engineering
education and the real costs of providing the sort of world leading
degrees that the UK should aspire to offer is outlined. The EPC
welcome this enquiry.
1. The Engineering Professors' Council represents
the interests of engineering in higher education. It has over
1600 members in virtually all of the UK universities that teach
engineering. They are all either professors or Heads of departments.
It has as its mission the promotion of excellence in engineering
higher education teaching and research.
The role of engineering and engineers in UK society
2. The role of engineering and in particular
professional engineers in UK society is not sufficiently appreciated
by Government, the media and the population at large. Indeed many
do not understand the difference between the professional engineer
and the mechanic [1] The Profession of Engineering is regulated
by the Engineering Council UK, and Chartered Professional Engineers
are Corporate Members of one or more of the Public Statutory Regulatory
Bodies ie the Engineering Institutions. There is also little understanding
of the role played by professional engineers and engineering in
the provision of societal necessities such as power and
clean water or the production of artefacts essential to the quality
of UK life including for example pharmaceuticals, computers, electrical
power generation, mobile telephones, aircraft and the motor car.
3. Of equal importance, is the role of engineering
enabling society to act sustainably by ensuring, that the
needs of the current generation are met whilst not compromising
the rights and needs of future generations. There is a significant
shortage of regeneration engineers with the skills to engage in
this key area. Engineering is by nature a multi disciplinary discipline,
which has historically tended to focus on technical skills. Increasingly,
engineering education is embracing the broader skills necessary
for sustainable development.
4. Professional engineers are pervasive
throughout most industrial and employment sectors. They make an
important contribution to the financial sector within the UK by
occupying senior positions in the FTSE top 100 companies. [2]
Many, who have studied engineering at degree level, work in non
cognate areas so the core skills of engineering (team working,
problem solving innovation and creativity) are applied to the
benefit of society and the economy in many and various other ways.
For example, engineers can be working as teachers, financiers,
accountants, project managers and politicians. [2]
5. Engineering will have to undergo a step
change in the next few years as we face up to the challenges of
climate change, ever increasing energy demand, poverty alleviation,
lifeline support systems, waste as a resource and the other challenging
requirements to make UK society resilient to the inevitable exogenous
changes. UK engineers will make an impact on these future global
challenges not only by working in the UK but also by their
work overseas. The implementation of society's response to climate
change is exclusively in the hands of professional engineers.
6. The creation of new products and processes
and getting them to the market quickly, is the key to the success
of the manufacturing, processing and construction industries and
therefore to the UK manufacturing economy. If the UK's
innovation drive is to succeed, engineers will need to be involved
not only in research but also during design, implementation, maintenance
and decommissioning. Engineers are making a direct contribution
to the economy of the future by working on products ranging from
those found in the developing field of nano-technology, through
biomedical devices and transport systems to major projects such
as novel approaches to power generation as well as through consultancy
services.
The state of the engineering skills base in the
UK, including the supply of engineers and issues of diversity
7. The supply of professional engineers
is of considerable concern. Unlike many subjects engineering at
undergraduate level builds directly on previous study. The numbers
of young people qualified to embark on engineering studies has
declined in recent years as the numbers studying mathematics and
physics to an appropriate level has fallen. [3]
8. We have major concerns about the supply
of teachers of mathematics and physical sciences in secondary
schools and the attitude of primary school teachers towards these
subjects. It is clear that there are problems concerning both
quality and quantity of secondary teachers. Teachers without the
relevant science qualifications are teaching some science subjects.
[4]
9. Changes in the mathematics curriculum
have also affected engineering and mean that topics which were
previously included in the A level curriculum now have to be covered
in the first year at university with inevitable consequences for
the total amount of material to be covered. This has meant the
time taken to achieve a professional accredited degree programme
has increased from three to four years as a result of the Finniston
Enquiry [5] and latterly the change to UK-SPEC [6] The new diplomas
in engineering, manufacturing and construction potentially offer
new opportunities for recruitment because engineering will be
part of the school curriculum. There was concern about 1the
level of mathematics included in the advanced diploma but
this has been ameliorated as a result of input from EPC who have
developed a module that places mathematics in context and would
be acceptable to university admission officers. It will be interesting
to see if the specifications for the recently launched "Extended
Diplomas" will include suitable amounts of advanced mathematics
necessary for University entrance in Engineering. We hope that
the specification for the new extended diplomas will provide a
suitable and attractive route into engineering for the most academically
able young people. Ideally this would stretch and challenge them.
10. A key area of concern is that engineers
are traditionally males. There remain long-standing concerns about
the number of women studying engineering and, despite many
efforts to increase both the numbers and the percentage of female
recruits there has been little change over the last few years.
Numbers have remained static at around 15%. [7] This is at a time
when the numbers of women studying at university have increased
dramatically. This is important when making engineering decisions
that impact on society but it also implies that a significant
number of talented young people are not attracted to the engineering
profession. There are also concerns about the ethnic make up of
recruits to engineering [8]. In the construction industry, for
example, it is anticipated that within six years construction
engineers and civil engineers will be drawn from only 20% of the
working population.
11. There is a major role for improved,
well-informed career advice for young people from advisers who
have suitable and sufficient knowledge of engineering and the
careers that it offers. It may also be important to look at some
of the general public's conceptions and misconceptions of engineering
so that young people who express an interest in engineering are
not deterred.
12. All of this is against a background
of numerous initiatives designed to enthuse young people about
engineering and the exciting opportunities that it offers, and
the underlying negative trends in the interest in science and
engineering as careers implicit in the evidence gained from Project
ROSE [9] Either the initiatives do not work or without them the
situation would be even worse. All the existing evidence on the
effectiveness of careers initiatives is based on short-term satisfaction
polls. It is clear that there is a need for a serious longitudinal
study of the factors, which affect the decision to study engineering
and to have a career within it.
The importance of engineering to R and D and the
contribution of R and D to engineering
13. Engineering, by definition, is creative
and innovative so that R&D is at the heart of high quality
engineering. Mechanisms need to be developed to ensure that good
ideas developed in the UK can be brought to the market. Engineers
need to be involved at all stages from the initial concept to
the vital disposal stage of any project.
14. Engineering R & D is a vital
activity distinct from purely scientific research. It seeks
to answer the question of how to use knowledge for the benefit
of mankind rather than seeking understanding of the cause of a
particular observation. Both are important and the best engineering
research builds directly on the best scientific research (and
vice versa through, for example, instrumentation). They should
not, however, be judged on the same bases and EPC believes that
HEFCE's current plans for a new Research Excellence Framework
are unhelpful in this regard. This view is shared by Research
Councils UK [10]
15. A vibrant, healthy and self-confident
engineering research community in the UK is vital for the future
well being of its economy and for the quality of life of its
citizens. New technologies are developing quicker and coming
to the market faster. The UK engineering research community (academic
and industrial) must be able to play an important role in that
process at the highest intellectual level. This requires the recruitment
and retention of the best quality minds into the study of engineering
at all levels, a process, which as we have noted above, begins
in the primary school. It is of considerable concern that the
numbers of engineering graduates progressing to PhD level studies
has remained static for a number of years, as evidenced by the
recent Royal Society report [11]
16. Ensuring a vibrant research philosophy
within educational establishments is not only of importance to
the demand for new materials, products and processes but also
informs teaching, ensuring that future engineers are able to deal
with the demands.
The roles of industry, universities, professional
bodies, Government, unions and others in promoting engineering
skills and the formation and development of careers in engineering
17. Clearly all have an important role.
Universities can provide the academic part of the formation
of professional engineers and can contribute to the continual
updating of skills, which are needed throughout their working
lives. The majority of engineering degrees awarded in the UK are
accredited. That is they are subject to checks by the appropriate
professional engineering institution to ensure that they provide
the academic rigour required as part of the overall training of
the engineer. Suitable experience is then added to this. Of course
the academic education of the trainers in industry is also likely
to have originated in the universities.
18. Professional Institutions take a proactive
role in encouraging best practice in engineering education and
ensuring that programmes are designed to meet the needs of industry.
This accreditation process involves industry and professional
institutions maintaining regular contact with universities thus
creating a network of excellence. This is demonstrated
by the fact that the UK is the second most attractive country
in the world for overseas students to study engineering. Studying
engineering at university level is a major attraction for foreign
students, and the enormous contribution that is made by their
fees and related expenditure to the UK's economy is not always
properly acknowledged.
19. Recently EPC together with ETB commissioned
consultants to look at the real costs of providing engineering
degrees. [12] It is clear that there is considerable under-funding
and that extra money is required simply to enable engineering
departments to stand still. However, even more money will be required
if engineering departments are to be properly funded to allow
for continual up dating of equipment and facilities, the development
of new and innovative courses and the provision of increased support
for students, seen as essential to improving retention. The Chairman
and Chief Executive of the Russell Group [13] have recently echoed
this concern
20. There is also considerable concern within
the engineering and science higher education community that the
current higher education qualifications framework within the UK
is not sustainable. It may be that in future due to worldwide
moves in higher education as a result of the Bologna initiative
changes in the length and content of courses will be required.
The recent Royal Society report and enquiries conducted by the
QAA appear to support that view. If it is necessary to enhance
or lengthen UK higher education qualifications to accommodate
international pressures then additional funding will be required
as, as has already been explained, the sector is already under
considerable financial pressure, which is affecting the quality
of the education delivered.
21. EPC has recognised that it is time to
think carefully about the sorts of engineering degree that
are needed in the 21st Century and has set up a working group
to look at the possibilities; membership includes representatives
of the other stakeholders in engineering formation. Sandwich courses
offer the opportunity of accelerating the experience of students
and encouraging universities and industry to work more closely
together. It may be possible to offer financial incentives possibly
via tax breaks to encourage industry to offer such placements.
22. There are also concerns about the recruitment
of engineering graduates into engineering careers. At present
only about a half of graduates remain in engineering and
anecdotal evidence suggests that it is difficult for engineering
companies to compete for the best quality students with financial
services and other employers both in terms of salary offered;
but also and perhaps more importantly in career progression. It
may be that it is especially difficult for the small and medium
sized companies who employ so many of our engineering graduates
to offer appropriate training and career progression. The recent
LiNEA study demonstrated the need for improved support and feedback
for young graduates during the critical postgraduate training
phase.
CONCLUSIONS
23. The EPC welcomes the Select Committee's
Inquiry and considers both that it is timely and that it deals
with issues of high importance for the future of the UK. As a
body representing the interests of practitioners in Higher Education,
we would like to make the following RECOMMENDATIONS and
thus urge the Government to:
- do all in its power to enhance the status
and public perception of professional engineers and engineering;
- ensure that standards of science teaching
in all UK schools are at the highest level possible by the appointment
of sufficient numbers of properly qualified science teachers;
- make provision for those students who excel
at science to be stretched further by the provision of a broad
range of intra and extra curricular activities, possibly using
the new advanced extended engineering diploma to do this;
- avoid damaging university engineering research
by modifying the proposed implementation of HEFCE's proposed research
excellence framework;
- enhance funding levels within UK engineering
departments to enable them to update teaching equipment and facilities;
- promote greater involvement by women and
ethnic minorities in engineering higher education; and
- promote, by tax incentives and otherwise,
a healthy, vibrant engineering research community involving high
level interactions between academia and industry.
March 2008
References
[1] "Public attitudes to and perceptions
of Engineering and Engineers 2007" Report prepared for
the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Engineering and Technology
Board, September 2007.
[2] "Engineering UK 2006: a statistical
guide to labour supply and demand in science, engineering and
technology" Engineering and Technology Board, December
2006.
[3] "Royal Society Press Release 2006
A level Results" August 2006.
[4] "Campaign for Science and Engineering
Press Release" 29 August 2006.
[5] "Finniston Report, A report of a
committee of Enquiry into the Engineering profession"
January 1980.
[6] "UK SPEC" the Engineering
Council (UK) March 2004.
[7] UCAS Annual Datasets from .http://www.ucas.ac.uk/he_staff/stat_services1/stats_online/.
[8] "Attracting More Entrants into Engineering:
The UK Perspective" Maillardet, Martland and Morling
IEEE conference Munich November 2007.
[9] Times Higher Education Page 4 28 February
2008.
[10] "How do learners in different cultures
relate to Science and Technology?" Project ROSE Asia-Pacific
Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, volume 6, issue 2
December 2005.
[11] "A Higher Degree of Concern"
A report prepared for the Royal Society January 2008.
[12] "The Costs of Teaching Engineering
Degrees" A report for the Engineering and Technology
Board and the Engineering Professors' Council by JM consulting
November 2007.
[13] Times Higher Education March 5 2008.
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