Shortages of engineering technicians and operational engineers

Citation

(2009), "Shortages of engineering technicians and operational engineers", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 81 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2009.12781bab.012

Shortages of engineering technicians and operational engineers

Article Type: University and research newsFrom: Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal, Volume 81, Issue 2

A new report released recently by the Engineering and Technology Board (ETB) reveals that, contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of critical industrial skills shortages, are due to lack of technicians and apprentices.

Engineering UK 2008, the ETB’s flagship annual report on the state of engineering in the UK, finds that jobs in “skilled trades”, “plant, process and machine operation”, and other “operative” roles such as engineering technicians, account for 61 per cent of all Skills Shortage Vacancies. The report also demonstrates that these three types of operational vacancy constitute the three main areas of skills shortages in the UK.

The report highlights that there will be particular difficulties recruiting skilled technicians and other operational staff in the EU skills and nuclear, chemical, oil and gas sectors, as represented by Cogent SSC. Within the Cogent sector footprint in particular, research finds an estimated demand for 72,000 technicians and operators by 2022, compared to a mere 31,600 apprentices estimated to go into the sector and fill these roles.

Throwing new light on the reasons behind UK skills shortages, Engineering UK 2008 also reveals that, unlike further education (FE), the higher education sector remains buoyant with a 7 per cent increase in applications to engineering and technology university courses over the past 5 years, as well as a 2.3 per cent increase in students graduating with engineering and technology degrees 3; but offers a cautious note to all stakeholders to remain steadfast in promoting HE routes and opportunities, particularly in the light of future demographic trends.

Whilst providing clear evidence that skills shortages are more pressing at FE than HE level, Engineering UK 2008 also reveals that nine out of ten engineering graduates who go into full time employment remain in the engineering and technology sectors as opposed to being “lost” to financial occupations as is commonly believed.

The report concludes that the greatest solution and opportunity to address skills shortages lies not only in higher education as commonly thought, but in expanding and developing FE and apprenticeship opportunities.

This assertion is supported by the following Engineering UK 2008 findings from an LSC survey by Ipsos MORI: 4:

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  10 per cent of employers participating in the Apprenticeship Programme, requested additional apprentices; and

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  25 per cent of learners on the Apprenticeship Programme were not able to find an employer or provider.

Other pertinent findings presented in the report:

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  There will be a 10 per cent decline in young people aged 16-24 by 2020 (from 7.5 million to 6.25 million) meaning skills shortages are highly likely to increase.

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  The current inflow of non-graduates via FE, apprenticeship and vocational qualification routes is insufficient to meet replacement demand in processing and technician roles.

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  Employers are reporting increasing difficulty finding engineers with team-working, problem-solving and communications skills required in the modern world.

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  There is a perception among many employers that young people are not always ready to settle down to work on leaving school. Three-quarters of employers that had recruited in the previous three years had not recruited a 16- to 17-year-old, and half had not recruited anyone under 25.

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  A stimulation of the renewable energy market would mean hundreds of thousands of current and new building services sector operatives will need to be suitably trained including 170,419 in solar water and heating alone.

Dr John Morton, Chief Executive of the ETB, said: “Whilst the UK does need to maintain and develop an increasingly knowledge-based economy to compete globally, Engineering UK 2008 reveals that our most pressing need is for intermediate skills at an operational level. If we want to remain competitive and ensure our world class knowledge-base continues to evolve apace, we must rapidly expand and develop our FE and apprenticeship programmes to ensure that we have enough skilled technicians coming through the system. The new engineering diploma is a great step forward but we must make sure we back it up with support at all levels of vocational education training, as is currently offered by the ETB’s Engineers Make it Happen campaign.”

Inspiring engineers to make it happen

In response to this report, the ETB is launching a four-year campaign to improve the supply of newly educated and trained engineers available to industry. The campaign, running under the tagline “Engineers Make It Happen”, will roll out activities in London, Northern Ireland and Wales.

The ETB’s “Engineers Make It Happen” campaign will aim to support and inspire FE engineering students to successfully complete their courses and pursue careers in the field. FE is playing an increasingly central role in the supply of engineers, not only training students on full time courses and delivering components of apprentice schemes, but supporting the new 14-19 engineering diplomas and by providing an alternative route to university through foundation degrees. Yet, many good students are lost to the engineering profession once they have started their FE studies, through drop out, difficulty in passing exams and appraisals, and through some students choosing to use their engineering qualification to pursue non-engineering careers.

The ETB will run the campaign in partnership with a variety of expert organisations, such as the Semta Sector Skills Council and the Royal Academy of Engineering and through consultation with lecturers, local businesses, policy makers and education, skills and careers organisations. The ETB will also get involved in exciting projects, such as The BLOODHOUND Project, which aims to break the World Land Speed Record in a car capable of 1,000 mph, in order to showcase the excitement of engineering, including opportunities at technician and apprentice level for FE engineering students.

The campaign is designed to help meet the demand of business and industry in the UK for an improved supply of skilled engineering technicians and apprentices, in terms of quantity and quality.

The campaign involves initiatives to:

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  provide funded opportunities with industrial companies and professional engineering institutes for college lecturers to update their industrial knowledge;

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  provide trained, inspirational engineering speakers from engineering industry and research organisations to excite college students about engineering careers;

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  offer funded work placements, delivered by expert work placement organisations, to provide college students with hands-on experience of industry; and

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  encourage collaboration between existing organisations which focus on enthusing school and college students about engineering careers.

Following a successful first year, the ETB plans to expand the campaign into other parts of the UK.

Dr Martin Thomas, Engineering Campaign UK Director at the ETB, said: “Tightening economic conditions and growing global competition have driven demand for engineering expertise in the UK. At the same time, there are not enough engineers coming through the education system at technician and apprentice level as the number of students choosing to study engineering in FE decreases, and many courses suffer from significant non-completion. The ETB’s ‘Engineers Make It Happen’ campaign is a concerted effort to support the FE sector, and to make more of those students that do make it into a college classroom – this is a key part of the vocational revolution in the UK.”