Skill shortage in engineering prompts Government response

Skill shortage in engineering prompts Government response

A joint initiative to tackle the skill shortage in flood-risk management is being driven by the Environment Agency, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). “Action on Engineering Skill Shortage in Flood-Risk Management” aims to inspire school leavers and graduates to take up careers in flood and coastal engineering. The plan is in response to recommendations in a report commissioned by Defra and the Environment Agency and prepared by ICE. The report identified a shortage of engineering and science skills in the workforce, with particular reference to engineering skills in flood-risk management and a lack of suitably qualified flood-risk engineers.

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

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

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

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  provide case studies and computer models for undergraduate courses;

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  improve provision of postgraduate education in flood management; and

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

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