Memorandum 58
Submission from Thales
Terms of reference:
- (A)The role of engineering and engineers
in UK society.
- (B)The role of engineering and engineers
in UK's innovation drive.
- (C)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).
- (D)The importance of engineering to R&D
and the contribution of R&D to engineering.
- (E)The roles of industry, universities,
professional bodies, Government, unions and others in promoting
engineering skills and the formation and development of careers
in engineering.
INTRODUCTION
1. Thales is a major international company,
employing 68,000 globally in 50 countries covering interests in
defence, aerospace and security for a wide range of customers
including national governments.
2. Thales UK is a significant industrial
player, employing 9,000 across the UK. Thales UK revenue in 2007
was over £1bn, a third of which was exports. Thales provides
systems at the heart of the UK's military and security capability,
as well as in the non-defence field. The company is a Prime Contractor,
systems integrator, technology provider and service provider.
In Defence, our current major programme involvement includes being
a member of the Alliance delivering the Royal Navy's aircraft
carriers, Prime Contractor for the Watchkeeper unmanned aerial
vehicle and System of Systems Integrator for the Future Rapid
Effects System requirement. As well as being a major contractor
to the MOD, Thales has a major presence in the transport, telecommunication
and security sectors, with major national customers including
Network Rail. Electronic engineering is the core technical discipline
of the operations of Thales. Our engineering pedigree in the UK
dates back to 1888 as a result of our heritage with Barr &
Stroud, now Thales UK (optronics).
(A) The Role of Engineering and Engineers
in UK Society
3. As a global organisation, we are in a
position to compare the supply of engineers across several countries,
most particularly across Europe. It is clear that, comparatively,
the UK supply is not what it needs to be to support the growth
of the UK industry. We face shortages, and stiff competition,
in most engineering disciplines, particularly in systems engineering.
Thales is therefore dedicated to supporting all efforts to promote
engineering as a career for young people in the UK. Thales is
focussed on the supply of capable people for the job regardless
of gender or ethnicity. In our graduate recruitment campaigns
we are currently receiving 28% of all applications from non EU
citizens.
4. Our strategy is, therefore, to broaden
the supply of recruits as much as possible both by considering
the engagement of younger students in schools and retraining individuals
with legacy skills. This requires the development of education
and re-training solutions with schools and universities. There
is an opportunity for all stakeholders-Government, industry and
institutions-to work more closely together to meet these objectives.
(C) 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)
5. Engineering is the core technical discipline
of the operations of Thales.
Thales UK employs 4,000 engineers and technicians,
of which some 90% are qualified to degree level or above. In 2007
Thales UK recruited 83 graduates. In 2008 we look to recruit 110
graduates and in 2009 150. 80% of our graduate intake are engineers.
The UK Labour market has a shortage of engineering capability,
most particularly in systems, in the south east.
6. Thales UK plans to create an Engineering
school of excellence in order to combat the difficulties of recruiting
and retaining skilled people in the rail signalling industry.
The school of excellence will take on school-leavers and graduates
to train as licensed engineers to support main line and mass transit
solutions.
(D) The importance of engineering to R&D
and the contribution of R&D to engineering
7. We consider that Engineering and Research
are inextricably linked. The ability to apply new scientific and
technical insight depends on effective and developing engineering
expertise; and the development of insight is often enabled by
engineering contact with the real world.
8. Engineering advances to exploit each
wave of technology. We recommend most strongly the need for science,
technology, engineering and business to march in harness. The
mobile communications market is still influenced by the ground
breaking science and engineering conducted in RACAL's (now Thales)
research laboratory in Reading.
(E) The roles of industry, universities, professional
bodies, Government, unions and others in promoting engineering
skills and the formation and development of careers in engineering
9. Whilst industry clearly has a role in
promoting the exciting options available to those who pursue a
career in engineering, this has to be exercised by means of direct
contact through the schools and the education system to start
the students on this path.
10. By the time students are at university,
the issues are fundamentally around retention (universities are
reported to be seeing very high drop out rates from engineering
courses) and then follow through into engineering careers. Thales
believes that it can support universities by making strategic
links with a number of them who provide courses that are key to
our business and work with them to evolve the curriculum, provide
work experience opportunities for students, and career advice
from an industry perspective.
11. Thales plays its part in promoting engineering
skills and the formation and development of careers in engineering.
Thales is involved in activity across the UK to promote the increase
of the interest and supply of engineers by working with local
schools and universities to engage with students on the opportunities
provided by engineering.
12. The professional bodies must be the
co-ordinator in the overall effort to promote engineering. There
are a number of voices with the same message: if our efforts were
pooled, we could be very effective. In order to achieve this,
the professional bodies need to be seen to have strong support
from Government.
13. Thales is a strong supporter of STEMNET
(science, technology, engineering and mathematics network) and
encourages all graduates with appropriate backgrounds to become
Science and Engineering Ambassadors. Thales takes every request
for help from a school seriously and does everything it can to
support them. Volunteers work with schools to support everything
from extra reading classes, careers talks and presentations to
full day challenge events. Thales also recognises the value in
competitions such as Young Engineer for Britain in inspiring young
people to follow STEM as a career and supports both regional and
national finals also sending role models from our engineering
community to act as judges.
14. Thales has a four-year graduate development
programme for all new graduate entrants. The Engineering stream
of this programme is accredited by the Institution of Engineering
and Technology, Institute of Physics, Institution of Mechanical
Engineering, Royal Aeronautical Society and the Institute of Mathematics
and its Applications. Graduates on this stream work towards becoming
a Professionally Registered Engineer (either Chartered or Incorporated).
Delivery of the Thales Graduate Development Programme is through
Thales Universite. Thales Universite have enhanced the programme
by developing a number of bespoke courses specific to the graduate
population to develop both their behavioural skills and their
knowledge of the business life cycle.
15. Thales ensures that the views of industry
are being heard in the engineering institutions and the UK Engineering
Council (ECUK) itself by maintaining positions on committees,
taking part in focus groups and actively engaging on key issues.
Thales has also pioneered the creation of the UK Initial Professional
Development Forum where likeminded companies can meet to discuss
issues around development of engineers and go forward to the institutions
and ECUK with one voice. This has been welcomed by ECUK.
March 2008
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