et10.1108/etEducation + Training0040-0912Emerald Group Publishing Limited10.1108/et.2005.00447dab.006e-non-articleSecondary articleUK newscat-EDUNEducationcat-BEDUBusiness Educationcat-EEDUEntrepreneurship educationcat-VETVocational education & trainingcat-CIVECurricular innovation in vocational educationSkill shortage in engineering prompts Government response01052005474/5© Emerald Group Publishing Limited2005peer-reviewednoacademic-contentyesrightslinkexcludedSkill shortage in engineering prompts Government response

A joint initiative to tackle the skill shortage in flood-risk management isbeing driven by the Environment Agency, the Department for Environment, Food andRural Affairs (Defra) and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). “Actionon Engineering Skill Shortage in Flood-Risk Management” aims to inspireschool leavers and graduates to take up careers in flood and coastalengineering. The plan is in response to recommendations in a report commissionedby Defra and the Environment Agency and prepared by ICE. The report identified ashortage of engineering and science skills in the workforce, with particularreference to engineering skills in flood-risk management and a lack of suitablyqualified flood-risk engineers.

Initiatives such as working with GCSE examination boards, providing workexperience to sixth-formers as well as sponsorship schemes for undergraduatesare ideas that will be considered by an employers’ forum, being set up bythe Environment Agency, to tackle the skills gap in flood and coastalengineering. Representatives from Government, the Institution of CivilEngineers, consultants, contractors and other organisations involved inflood-risk management are working together to improve the situation over time.

The main focus of efforts to achieve change will be to:

encourage more graduates into flood-risk management by providing vacationwork and sandwich-course placements;

provide case studies and computer models for undergraduate courses;

improve provision of postgraduate education in flood management; and

promote skill development in the workplace and other initiatives to help toretain staff within flood and coastal risk management.

The Institution of Civil Engineers will set up a system to assess andrecord the quality of work placements, as an extension to the best-practiceguidance for work experience.