Science and TechnologyWritten evidence submitted by Cogent Sector Skills Council

Cogent is the Sector Skills Council for the Process, Nuclear and Life Science Industries. We have contributed to several previous Government and Parliamentary calls for evidence and ideas on STEM skills. We are an employer led body licensed by Government to ensure that employers and employees in the science-based industries have the skills needed to operate safely, effectively and competitively in a global market.

1. Does the current engineering skills base meet the needs of employers? Do employers in the engineering sector prefer an academic or a vocational profile?

1.1 Background: In the Cogent science-based sector (process, nuclear and life sciences), 74% of employers report that Professional Scientists and Engineer positions were hard to fill (Cogent Oracle research 2011). The main reasons employers cited for hard to fill vacancies were lack of suitable work experience to meet company requirements and few applicants with the required skills. Employers report that graduates tend to need upskilling in leadership and management skills, industry awareness and problem solving and similar behavioural skills.

1.2 Employer feed-back shows core engineering skills can only be effectively delivered with a combination of academic and vocational learning. Theory underpinned by practical hands-on experience is preferred. Some employers report they struggle to find good engineers and have to pay premium salaries to retain them.

1.3 Many employers are still not aware of the apprenticeship and qualifications options available. But more employers in the engineering sector are showing interest in vocational routes and developing employees within a business rather than taking on graduates with little work or people experience. Employers who would once never entertain the idea are now considering the Apprenticeship route for engineering vacancies and contacting Cogent’s Technical Apprenticeship Service (TAS) for advice and to place apprentices.

1.4 Cogent has worked with the nuclear industry to determine the practical and employability skills required for the UK’s new nuclear build programme. Using Cogent as a conduit we have networked employers with providers (universities and FE colleges) in the delivery of the Nuclear Island programme. This has also increased engagement between engineering disciplines and academics and increased collaboration through nationwide delivery of a well-established programme.

The engineering sector now recognises and value this program which has attracted significant media interest and substantial employer funding.

2. What impact will recent changes relating to engineering qualifications in England have on the uptake of technical subjects and the skills base need by the engineering sector?

2.1 Over recent years Cogent has worked with The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) on a number of programmes dedicated to understanding the existing qualifications in the FE STEM sector, the English Baccalaureat and the Diploma in Engineering. Our activity with employers is in full alignment with the recommendation that the RAE has put forward.

Cogent also works with the Engineering Council Gateway to the Professions programme and the Technicians Council to look at widening participation in the engineering field.

2.2 Other factors affecting uptake may come from increased HE fees and the high profile promotion of non-graduate routes. Whilst we are seeing more interest from some employers in recruiting apprentices, in the majority of cases, employers requiring high level skills prefer graduates from particular Universities and particular courses. As a consequence many engineering companies across the sector engage with university industry advisory boards to ensure that those student have the complete portfolio of practical and employability skills required. Professionalism is embedded onto the courses.

3. How do approaches taken by the Devolved Administrations to produce a technically skilled workforce differ to the approach in England? What are the strengths/weaknesses of the different approaches?

3.1 Different funding mechanisms to support skills development exist across the Devolved Administrations with some being UK wide, some England only. Some of this linked to the different educational systems in each nation.

Cogent has been fortunate to have been supported by DA project funding (mainly in Wales and Northern Ireland) focusing on specific technical issues.

3.2 The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), has been extremely supportive and selective in its backing of science/manufacturing skills development programmes, with an emphasis on encouraging employment co-investment in technical workforce development.

Sector Skills Councils such as Cogent have successfully made the case for developing better and more accessible information about STEM career and training options, and on continuous professional development for employees and benchmarking to industry designed standards- such as the Cogent Gold Standard.

3.3 The strength of the UKCES approach is that it is employers—with their Sector Skills Council—who are leading the approach to identifying problem areas and skills development solutions. Cogent SSC’s employer board members have been instrumental in creating our STEM skills project bids into EIF and GIF funds, and in the oversight and governance of projects.

3.4 However, we often hear that what is lacking is a coherent, UK wide careers information and education system. Web-based information is therefore important for UK-wide access.

4. Could the Government and others do more to raise the status of technical subjects?

4.1 Our nationwide survey of employers (2005) and of young people 14–16 at regional careers and skills events (up to 2010) showed students had low awareness of and interest in technical career opportunities. This was compounded by low industry knowledge by teachers and careers advisers. That was the motivation for Cogent’s online career website (www.cogent-careers .com) which is being revised in 2012 to provide a more user-centred career progression and training/qualification information service.

4.2 The huge investment in apprenticeship promotion by the previous and current administrations is increasing awareness and interest in non-graduate route STEM careers. Interest in professional technical occupations from students with strong STEM A levels and equivalents appears to remain strong, but more will need to be done to make widening access to these professions more than just an ambition. Cogent has been working with the Engineering Council to widen participation through the Gateway to the Professions programme, and we are pleased to say that employers are utilising this route.

4.3 Some employers and advisers suggest that the development of new technical qualifications needs to be informed by skills requirements from industry to ensure a competitive engineering sector can be created. Core skills such as hand-based engineering are being lost through retirement and the skills to deliver engineering training are being lost

4.4 Other suggestions include incentives for schools and colleges to raise the knowledge and understanding of technical subjects and how these are going to effect and link with the future growth of the economy. Some employers are eager to have closer links to schools, and some already operate work experience and favour local recruitment. For the process, nuclear and pharmaceuticals industries Cogent’s Skills Oracle (2011) showed 50% of skilled people being recruited locally, 31% regionally, 14 nationally and 5% internationally.

5. What more should be done to attract and retain a more diverse technically skilled workforce?

5.1 Cogent believes it is essential to work with employers and stakeholders to understand the specific technical needs of the industries and delivering pathways to the professions.

Cogent is working with the Nuclear Island programme at all vocational and academic levels to embed the right skills across the industry.

It is essential that those people providing advice in schools and job centres have sufficient knowledge about the breadth of technical opportunities, and access to recent case studies of role models that challenge conventional industry gender and ethnicity stereotypes.

Parents are still key influencers and any information campaigns need to target them as well as young people.

5.2 To ensure wider access to technical and professional roles, communication and advertising needs to address a diverse audience and not perpetuate the status quo.

Women only or girls only open days are very effective in recruitment campaigns and need to be encouraged and supported. Women in Leadership programmes are effective for retention—within individual companies or through a network of senior women across a number of organisations. Mentoring and schemes work well at entry level and apprenticeships.

Organisational “workplace champions” are effective in driving things forward. Diversity traditionally sits with HR in larger companie but experience shows they are not necessarily the most passionate people in the organisation.

5.3 The collection and monitoring (and sharing) of recruitment and employment data is essential to identify trend. For example, there may be a particular test in the recruitment process that females fail in bigger numbers than males. Or retention may be an issue in a certain department for a particular minority group.

5.4 Cogent’s new web-based career and training pathways and our apprenticeship frameworks are part a wider move to help establish effective mechanisms to engage school leavers in technical and engineering careers. Students and their advisers need to understand employer expectations and what the planned or existing qualifications can lead to, as well as other personal attributes and behaviours. Where employers and professional bodies have close links to schools, colleges and HEIs the transition from theory to the workplace is more successful and sustainable.

June 2012