Memorandum 25
Submission from the Professional Engineering
Community[80]
1. INTRODUCTION
AND EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
1.1 The engineering community welcomes the
Committee's inquiry into engineering. The deployment of engineering
and technology has allowed mankind to enjoy a quality of life
unknown hitherto. Engineering can be the creative process which
converts science into products and processes. It can also generate
inventions ahead of scientific understanding. Through engineering
the UK can continue to develop new `solutions' to many of the
current and future challenges facing society and hence strengthen
the UK's economic competitiveness.
1.2 Working in partnership, the engineering
community is already playing a leading role in providing:
- Careers support and advice
- Engineering scholarships and research bursaries
- Endorsement for training and professional
development
- Activity to raise the profile, and change
perceptions, of engineering and engineers through public engagement.
1.3 There is still more to do. Addressing
each of the Inquiry's terms of reference, this paper provides
an overview of UK engineering and the challenges facing it, and
makes recommendations on what extra can be done to maximise engineering's
and engineers' contribution to meeting these challenges.
1.3.1 The role of engineering and engineers
in UK society:
- The various schemes for inspiring young
people and changing perceptions should be better coordinated,
with a view to building upon best practice and recognising an
important role for the Shape the Future initiative.
1.3.2 The role of engineering and engineers
in the UK's innovation drive:
- We recognise recent and ongoing efforts
to ensure that public sector procurement encourages innovation
in the delivery of products and services, including the Small
Business Research Initiative (SBRI), but question the extent of
their success. In view of the significant power of the public
sector, procurement has an important role to play in fostering
new technologies in the UK.
- A review of the current industry / academia
technology transfer programmes should be undertaken with recommendations
for change. The engineering community is ideally placed to lead
this.
1.3.3 The state of the engineering skills
base in the UK:
- We are aware of the ongoing TRAC(T) review
of funding of undergraduate education. Recognising the strategic
economic importance of engineering, the real cost of producing
engineering graduates should be fully funded.
- STEM course uptake (both HE and FE) should
be incentivised by progressively writing off student debt for
home students who follow careers which meet STEM skills shortages.
- Efforts to raise professionalism among
engineering technicians should be increased. The unions will have
a key role to play in achieving this.
- The engineering community and businesses
are already engaged with education providers on the content and
structure of new qualifications, eg the Engineering Diploma. This
should be continued and supported by consistency from Government
over the future of new and existing qualifications.
- Sector Skills Councils should work closely
with the Engineering Council UK and the engineering profession
to exploit the benefits of our internationally recognised competence
standards for professional engineers and engineering technicians.
1.3.4 R&D:
- Public funding of engineering R&D which
looks to the longer term, including environmental and sustainable
technologies, should be continued, eg the carbon capture and storage
competition. However, this support should not be too narrow in
its scope eg not restricted to just post-combustion technologies
in this case.
- There should be a greater use of Engineering
Doctorates, as compared with PhDs, and the scheme should be extended
to include Engineering Masters.
- Just as the Research Assessment Exercise
incentivises excellence in research, so first-class teaching and
first-class knowledge transfer should also be incentivised.
1.3.5 Roles in promoting engineering skills
and the formation and development of careers in engineering:
- Subject specialists for each STEM subject
should be introduced for every secondary school student, encouraged
by increased incentives for practising science teachers subject
to their achievement of agreed performance standards. There should
also be additional reward and recognition for the most inspirational
teachers of science and mathematics.
- Minimum standards for STEM careers advice
should be set, improving the training of careers advisers and
the information resources available to them, as recognised by
recent DCSF initiatives.
- There should be an increased drive to raise
mathematics standards at primary and secondary school. To this
end, we welcome the undertaking of a review of primary school
mathematics teaching by Sir Peter Williams. We recommend that
every primary school Science Coordinator should be a science graduate.
- Industry should work more closely with
education providers, engineering institutions and with EPSRC and
HEFCE to explain its skills needs, feed into course design and
provide students with practical experience of engineering.
- Schools should be supported, as outlined
above, with key potential contributions being to improve under-19
mathematics and physics skills.
- As currently happens with Science (through
the Chief Scientist), appropriate recognition should also be given
to Engineering and Technology in the policy making process.
2. THE ROLE
OF ENGINEERING
AND ENGINEERS
IN UK SOCIETY
Engineering continues to make a vital contribution
to the UK economy and to UK and international society and well
being. Engineering underpins virtually every aspect of modern
life, from defence to health and construction. UK successes to
be celebrated include the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Airbus, plastic
electronics and Formula 1. Engineering also provides the backbone
of all IT. Moreover, engineers are at the forefront in tackling
many of the challenges facing the international community eg scarcity
of clean water, climate change and sustainable and secure energy
sources. However, UK engineering is now part of a global economy.
As a recent report[81]
by the think tank, Demos, noted:
"Products are assembled along global
supply chains. Savings flow through global financial markets.
Something similar is happening to how ideas and technology develop.
The rise of China and India means US and European pre-eminence
in science-based innovation cannot be taken for granted. Nor can
the knowledge jobs that have depended on it."
2.1 Engineering, with approximately 0.5
million professional engineers, brings technology, products and
services to market and in doing so directly contributes (through
SET-intensive sectors) approximately £250 billion,[82]
27% of the total UK GDP (2002). In 2006 engineering services[83]
directly contributed £3.2 billion in exports to the Balance
of Payments.
2.2 More needs to be done to communicate
the extent of engineering's and engineers' centrality/contribution
to UK society and to improve the perception of both amongst young
people-our potential future engineers-and within the media. This
contribution is quite separate from a strong and internationally
recognised science base. To correct misconceptions, Government,
business, the engineering community and education providers are
all undertaking awareness-raising, outreach and education programmes,
particularly for young people. Even though this activity reaches
over 50,000 young people per year, more understanding is needed
to ensure that such activity reaches the "unconverted".
- The various schemes for inspiring young
people and changing perceptions should be better coordinated,
with a view to building upon best practice and recognising an
important role for the Shape the Future initiative.
3. THE ROLE
OF ENGINEERING
AND ENGINEERS
IN UK'S
INNOVATION DRIVE
The engineering community agrees with the content
of the Government's "Next Steps" policy. However, emphasis
on a skills base is a necessary but not sufficient precursor to
innovation. While, as previously stated, the UK enjoys a science
base second only to the US (measured by numbers of citations and
papers), the UK continues to be less successful than many of our
competitor nations in translating this research into commercially
successful products-although progress is being made, as noted
in Lord Sainsbury's recent review of science and innovation policies
"The Race to the Top"[84].
Professional development of engineers in the UK does not offer
sufficient opportunity to engage with university research. It
is also much rarer in the UK than in other nations for senior
management to transfer between industry and academia.
- We recognise recent and ongoing efforts
to ensure that public sector procurement encourages innovation
in the delivery of products and services, including the Small
Business Research Initiative (SBRI), but question the extent of
their success. In view of the significant power of the public
sector, procurement has an important role to play in fostering
new technologies in the UK.
- A review of the current industry/academia
technology transfer programmes should be undertaken with recommendations
for change. The engineering community is ideally placed to lead
this.
4. The state of the engineering skills
base in the UK, including the supply of engineers and issues of
diversity (for example, gender and age profile).
The UK's engineering and technology skills base
is essential for inward investment. Employers regularly report
shortages of engineers and gaps in their skills and recent reports
suggest that the number of engineering graduates needs to double
over the next 10 years.[85]
According to one report, in 2007 nearly 50% of engineering employers
had recruited from overseas in the preceding 12 months to cover
specific skills shortages.[86]
4.1 Higher Education (HE)
Significant numbers of engineering graduates
are lost to the profession, although this varies between disciplines.
Whilst some "leakage" to financial services and other
professions should not necessarily be a cause for concern, more
work is needed to understand better which other professions engineering
graduates and postgraduates enter and why they do so.
Key constraints on entry to degrees are a lack
of mathematics skills and a lack of physics skills. With mathematics,
this reflects reducing numbers of well-qualified mathematics teachers,
and changing syllabi for national examinations. For example, teacher
recruitment targets have generally been missed by 15% or more
each year since 2000-2001[87].
Two recent developments are however welcome. Firstly, the Further
Mathematics Network has enabled further mathematics to be studied
by many who would not otherwise have such opportunity. Secondly,
development of the Engineering Diploma at Level 3 to include an
applied mathematics unit will help to promote it as an equally
relevant qualification for engineering as mathematics A Level.
A recent small-scale study also identified that
the cost of engineering teaching is not being fully met with current
funding, with the average shortfall of the departments surveyed
in the study being 14%.[88]
The continuing TRAC(T) review of funding of undergraduate education
is therefore welcomed.
One important trend that should be recognised
is the increasing proportion of international students in engineering
HE in the UK, especially at Masters level. In the year 2005-06,
nearly 30% of Engineering and Technology HE students were from
outside the UK.[89]
We should therefore look to encourage more home students through
expanded financial incentives eg debt cancellation for those following
careers with skills shortages.
4.2 Further Education (FE) and vocational
skills
There is evidence that the UK lags far behind
the continent in developing and nurturing technician skills, resulting
in significant shortfalls at Level 3 in the workforce. Although
it will vary across engineering disciplines, we believe that generally
it is at the vocational and intermediate skills level that attention
should be focused. Although there were 559,000 non-work based
learners in 2006-2007 these numbers contain an element that is
22% down in FE since 2005. It is important that full advantage
is taken of the opportunity offered by the recent apprenticeship
review. Moreover the advanced apprenticeship frameworks now have
the potential to link to the existing professional standard of
Engineering Technician.
4.3 Diversity
The profession has a white male bias, meaning
that there is an untapped reservoir of potential talent. Gender
issues are particularly acute. In 2005-2006 only 15% of students
on Engineering and Technology HE courses were female. This compares
with an overall female participation rate in HE of 58%[90].
Similarly, there are also issues surrounding disability
and ethnicity-the latter in terms of specific Black and Minority
Ethnic groups (Black Caribbean and Bangladeshi).[91]
There are many organisations working, often
independently, on separate parts of this problem and yet little
progress has been made in recent years.
4.4 All these figures-on HE, FE and diversity-should
be seen in the context of a projected decline in the 16-18 year
old cohort. In 2004 the proportion of working population aged
under 40 was 12% higher than those aged over 40, but by 2020 the
number of those under 40 will be 4% lower than those over 40.7
4.5 Soft skills
One area in which anecdotal evidence suggests
engineers do currently lack skills is the misleadingly entitled
"soft skills" which are so valued by employers. These
skills include communication, team work, project management and
the more basic skills of work readiness. Employers often develop
these relevant to their needs but more work placements during
FE and HE could also address this. Companies will nevertheless
continue to have a key role to play in supporting graduates with
development of their soft skills as part of Initial Professional
Development. It is encouraging that once their employees then
reach the standard for professional registration that companies
believe these issues have been largely addressed.[92]
- We are aware of the ongoing TRAC(T)
review of funding of undergraduate education. Recognising the
strategic economic importance of engineering, the real cost of
producing engineering graduates should be fully funded.
- STEM course uptake (both HE and FE)
should be incentivised by progressively writing off student debt
for home students who follow careers which meet STEM skills shortages.
- Efforts to raise professionalism among
Engineering Technicians should be increased. The unions and employers
will have key roles to play in achieving this.
- The engineering community and businesses
are already engaged with education providers on the content and
structure of new qualifications, eg the Engineering Diploma. This
should be continued and supported by consistency from Government
over the future of new and existing qualifications.
- Sector Skills Councils should work closely
with the Engineering Council UK and the engineering profession
to exploit the benefits of our internationally recognised competence
standards for professional engineers and engineering technicians.
5. THE IMPORTANCE
OF ENGINEERING
TO R&D AND
THE CONTRIBUTION
OF R&D TO
ENGINEERING
Engineering R&D tends to take place in industry
and hence is often funded commercially rather than by Government.
Where it is publicly funded, HEFCE is proposing changes to the
way its quality is measured. The consequences appear to be that
in future there will be even greater emphasis on pure science
rather than applied engineering. As before, there is also still
no explicit recognition of the value of first-class teaching and
first-class knowledge transfer.
5.1 Currently there is also a lack of engagement
between engineering graduates and the research their universities
undertake (or could undertake). The Engineering Doctorate is a
scheme that provides an indication of how much better this could
be done. As well as expanding this scheme, the lessons learnt
could easily be used to create a similar Engineering Masters programme
- Public funding of engineering R&D
which looks to the longer term, including environmental and sustainable
technologies, should be continued, eg the carbon capture and storage
competition. However, this support should not be too narrow in
its scope eg not restricted to just post combustion technologies
in this case.
- There should be a greater use of Engineering
Doctorates, as compared with PhDs, and the scheme should be extended
to include Engineering Masters.
- Just as the RAE incentivises excellence
in research, so first class teaching and first class knowledge
transfer should also be incentivised.
6. The roles of industry, universities, professional
bodies, Government, unions and others in promoting engineering
skills and the formation and development of careers in engineering.
This is already an active area. All of these
bodies have a role to play in promoting engineering skills and
careers. To ensure maximum impact and consistency of message and
approach, these activities must be well coordinated. The engineering
community working together on this response and the Royal Academy
of Engineering leadership of Shape the Future are examples of
what can be done to good effect.
6.1 Schools
Engineering's profile in UK secondary schools
as a career choice is low and often poorly understood by non-specialist
teachers and careers advisers. While the investment in the Science
Learning Centres, the National Centres of Excellence in the Teaching
of Mathematics, and the appointment of a National Director for
STEM are welcome, their potential will only be fully realised
if they are properly funded, applied across the whole of the school
system and supported by well-informed and well-resourced teachers
and careers advisers. Action to achieve this should include:
- Subject specialists for each STEM subject
for every secondary school student, encouraged by increased incentives
for practising science teachers subject to their achievement of
agreed performance standards. There should also be additional
reward and recognition for the most inspirational science and
maths teachers.
- minimum standards for STEM careers advice,
improving the training of careers advisers and the information
resources available to them, as recognised by recent DCSF initiatives.
- an increased drive to raise mathematics
standards at primary and secondary school. To this end, we welcome
the undertaking of a review of primary school mathematics teaching
by Sir Peter Williams. We recommend that every primary school
Science Coordinator should be a science graduate.
6.2 Universities should:
- be funded to ensure adequate practical
education, and to embrace new methods of teaching and learning,
for example Conceive, Design, Implement and Operate (CDIO).
6.3 Industry should:
- work more closely with education providers,
engineering institutions and with EPSRC and HEFCE to explain its
skills needs, feed into course design and provide students with
practical experience of engineering.
6.4 Government
In addition to the recommendations made earlier
in this report, eg on harnessing the potential of procurement
as an innovative force:
- schools should be supported, as outlined
above, with key potential contributions being to improve under-19
mathematics and physics skills.
- As currently happens with Science (through
the "Chief Scientist"), appropriate recognition should
also be given to Engineering and Technology in the policy making
process.
March 2008
80 The list of signatories is attached as an Annex.
The Royal Academy of Engineering has also seen this submission
and is supportive. Back
81
The Atlas of Ideas: How Asian innovation can benefit us all,
Charles Leadbeater and James Wilsdon, Demos, January 2007. Back
82
The Frontiers of Innovation: Wealth Creation from Science,
Engineering and Technology in the UK, the ETB 2004. Back
83
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/PinkBook_2007.pdf Back
84
The Race to the Top: A Review of Government's Science and Innovation
Policies, Lord Sainsbury of Turville, October 2007. Back
85
Shaping up for the Future, CBI 2007. Back
86
Engineering and Technology Skills and Demand in Industry, IET
2007. Back
87
"The UK's Science and Mathematics Teaching Force"
Royal Society 2007. Back
88
The Costs of Engineering Degrees, ETB/EPC 2007. Back
89
Engineering UK 2007, The Engineering and Technology Board (ETB). Back
90
Patterns of higher education institutions in the UK: Seventh
Report-Universities UK, September 2007. Back
91
Science, Engineering and Technology in the UK's Ethnic Minority
Population, Royal Society 2005. Back
92
UK SPEC Baseline Project, Final Report, ECuk November 2007. Back
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