Memorandum 43
Submission from the Institute of Physics
(IoP)
ROLE OF
ENGINEERING AND
ENGINEERS IN
UK SOCIETY
1.1 The role of engineering in advancing
technology and the quality of life should not be underestimated:
engineering provides for progress in science, manufacturing, and
the creative and design industries. Engineering allows the results
of scientific innovation to be brought to the market. Additionally,
innovations within the service sectors are often underpinned by
science and are enabled by engineers. We believe that engineering,
along with science, is a "trusted profession", with
key role in providing the public and decision makers to with accurate
information on which to base their opinions and conclusions
1.2 More should be done to emphasise the
contributions of both scientists and engineers to the prosperity
and success of the UK. The recent IET report Public Perceptions
of Engineering[147]
suggested that there is a low level of public awareness of modern
engineering. This lack of awareness is a key issue when preserving
the health of engineering as an academic discipline and information
about the breadth of jobs and careers within engineering should
be provided in schools and universities. There is a need for more
people taking physics (and mathematics in combination) at A-level
if the UK is to produce enough skilled engineers to keep pace
with the emerging economies of China and India.
ROLE OF
ENGINEERING AND
ENGINEERS IN
THE UK'S
INNOVATION DRIVE
2.1 The aim of the innovation drive is to
take inventions and the results of scientific research and turn
them into innovative, marketable products that generate revenue
and raise the quality of life. For this to happen product manufacturing
issues must be addressed and engineers are essential for this
process. The recent IOP report Physics and the UK Economy[148]
states that physics-based industries contribute over £70
billion to the UK economy and employ more then a million people
in the UK. These industries, such as aerospace, telecommunications
and high-technology manufacturing, depend on physics knowledge
and expertise for their survival, but require engineering and
engineers to design and manufacture products.
2.2 The UK's science base is very strong;
however the UK's record in bringing scientific developments to
the marketplace is comparatively weak. Skilled engineers are needed
in this process; engineers are involved in both the secondary
and tertiary steps in innovation. A crude estimate of the cost
in investment and manpower for moving from research to development
to production is roughly 1:10:100. Furthermore, there is much
anecdotal evidence of scientific developments originating in the
UK being developed into profitable businesses overseas because
of the lack of strength of the engineering base in the UK.
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)
3.1 The state of the engineering skills
base should not be assessed in isolation, but in concert with
other scientific disciplines. The term "engineer" when
used in the workplace can cover a wide variety of skills and activities
including physics. There are comparatively few positions within
high-technology industry with "physicist" in their job
title, but often these nominal engineering positions rely heavily
on physics knowledge and will often be filled by those with physics
qualifications. Physics A-levels are desirable in any engineer
and it should be made clear to school pupils that `engineering'
is one of the fields in which physics-trained people can work.
3.2 Within the current pool of trained engineers
there are demographic problems, with a high proportion of workers
planning to retire over the next decade.148 There is a limited
number of skilled people under the age of 50, possibly due to
a reduction in apprentice training around 25 years ago, though
we note recent efforts to revise the programmes. The IET survey148
suggested that many firms are struggling to recruit experienced
engineers to replace these workers. Additionally, a ready supply
of skilled workers is a powerful incentive for companies to invest
in the UK. Recent experiences of firms such as Plastic Logic relocating
their main manufacturing bases overseas has demonstrated the powerful
pull of trained workers for companies wishing to develop the result
of scientific research and a weakness in this area in the UK.
It is not immediately obvious how this problem can be solved in
the short term, but in the longer term, an overall increase in
the number of engineering and physical sciences graduates would
provide for enough graduates to remain in the engineering profession
and also fill positions in other sectors such as finance and teaching.
3.3 There has been a decline in the rate
of applications for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status over the
past ten years and an upward trend in the average age of registrant,
currently over 55 years old.[149]
In contrast there have been recent increases in the numbers of
graduates from engineering degrees. The reasons behind this decline
in CEng applications are complex; however it may be partially
explained by engineering graduates moving into other professions
such as finance and the service sectors. It may also be due to
companies being reluctant to provide financial support to staff
seeking to attain CEng status, feeling that there is no short-term
gain to their business. However, some high-technology companies
have found that their employees that achieve CEng status are both
paid more than equivalent employees who don't have chartered status,
and are also able to charge more for consultancy work. The skills
acquired through attaining chartered status are a means by which
the level of skills level of engineers within companies can be
raised and the process should be actively encouraged.
The importance of engineering to R&D and the
contribution of R&D to engineering
4.1 The success of science-based industries
is integral to the UK meeting its target R&D spend as set
out in the Lisbon Agenda. For this to happen, a strong supply
of skilled workers will be needed. Scientific innovations generated
through R&D need the expertise of engineers to scale-up the
products of the research to near market products. Without good
engineers this process is almost impossible and seldom effective.
Research by the IOP147 suggests that R&D spending in physics-based
sectors has declined in the period following 2001. R&D provides
fuel for the advancement of innovative industries and this decline
must be addressed, we welcome the leadership role given to the
Technology Strategy Board in this area, particularly the proposed
changes to the small business research initiative (SBRI).
The roles of industry, universities, professional
bodies, Government, unions and others in promoting engineering
skills and the formation and development of careers in engineering
INDUSTRY
5.1 We believe that industry should promote
a clear career structure that keeps good engineers within the
profession. There is also a case for companies to revisit apprenticeship
schemes as a means to train up and recruit qualified staff. Companies
should make it clearer that physics graduates are often well suited
to engineering jobs within their organisations and physics should
be named as a desirable degree on job adverts. The IOP is active
in this area with its Physicists Think campaign,[150]
which promotes the abilities and skills of physics graduates to
human resources departments of large companies. Companies should
also support and encourage employees to seek CEng status as a
means of strengthening the skills base within their existing employees.
5.2 Companies should also be proactive in
engaging with universities, which can provide both an immediate
research gain, and also the opportunity to engage with a pool
of skilled potential workers and to highlight the possible careers
available to them within engineering. This is an area already
being pursued by large companies such as BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce.
Businesses should also engage in outreach activities in schools
to illustrate the career paths that are available to people who
train in science and engineering.
PROFESSIONAL BODIES
5.3 Professional bodies should promote the
CEng status as a major step in the professional development of
their members. This should include explaining the value of the
skills gained through the CEng application processes.
UNIVERSITIES
5.4 Universities should encourage more science/technology
thinking amongst students of the arts, humanities and social sciences,
this could be through introductory "taster courses".
GOVERNMENT
5.5 The government has a major role in stimulating
growth in innovative science-based sectors of the economy. The
proposed `intelligent' procurement mechanisms and revamped (SBRI)
programme have the potential to have a substantial impact in this
area. Strong companies provide a draw for graduates in engineering
and other disciplines and serve to highlight the career paths
available to pupils and students studying science and engineering.
SCHOOLS
5.6 There have been some attempts to develop
a progression route to engineering through applied qualifications.
These have had a limited impact and it remains to be seen how
the Engineering Diploma will fit into the educational environment,
whether it will be seen as a vocational qualification or as a
route to academic entry. For the moment, however, the main route
to becoming a professional engineer is still via mathematics and
physics A-levels.
5.7 We note that the proposed development
of a Science Diploma, which is currently being promoted as an
academic qualification, could add to the confusion about the best
route into engineering. Particularly when one considers the current
state of advice with respect to careers in STEM.
5.8 The problems facing physics education,
eg lack of specialist physics teachers, limited careers advice,
and under-representation of girls are major problems for the supply
of the engineering pipeline and are manifested in the recruitment
to university engineering courses.
5.9 Whilst the government and others are
addressing some of the issues facing physics education we worry
that the pivotal nature of physics in terms of progression to
engineering is not clearly understood across government. In particular,
perhaps because engineering does not have a strong identity in
pre-19 education, there appears to be a strong emphasis on extra-curricular
interventions rather than addressing the central problems in the
classroom.
5.10 Until the fundamental issues of the
physics teacher recruitment and retention of is addressed we believe
that participation in engineering and physics will not be sufficient
to satisfy the demand.
March 2008
147 Engineering and Technology Skills and Demand
in Industry, The IET 2007. Back
148
Physics and the UK economy, The Institute of Physics 2007. Back
149
2007 Survey of Registered Engineers, The Engineering and Technology
Board. Back
150
www.iop.org/activity/careers/page_26755.html Back
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