ns engineering our future supplement feb 2015

Engineering our futureThe skills gap that urgently needs to be addressed

if the UK is to succeed on the world stage

Nicky Morgan John Perkins Naomi Climer

Supported by

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2 | NEW STATESMAN | 20-26 FEBRUARY 2015

Engineering is struggling with a nationwide skills gap, a lack of diversity and the poor perception of careers on offer. Here are the numbers behind the story . . .

The databaseFACTS AND FIGURES

Making engineering appealing

56% of employers were not aware or

did not know of any initiatives to promote

engineering to young people

Only 52% of 18-to-24-year-olds could

cite the engineering development in the

past 50 years that has had the greatest

impact on them

Source: Engineering UK

Gender

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Proportion of engineering

technicians who are women4% 3% 4% 4% 3%

Proportion of engineers

who are women 5% 6% 6% 7% 6%

Ones to watchSix of the most promising engineering and technology industries where the UK is, or has potential to be, among the global leaders Source: IET

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roboticsnew energy

networks

cyber security

space

3D printingfood

manufacturing

Skills shortages

1.82m – the number of people with

engineering skills needed by 2022.

This means we will need double the

number of engineering apprentices and

graduates entering the industry

Filling the demand for new engineering

jobs will generate an additional

£27bn per year from 2022 for the UK

economy – equivalent to building 1,800

schools or 110 hospitals

53% of employers believe they should get

more involved with schools, colleges and

universities to help change the perception

of engineering among young people

44% of engineering, information

technology and technical recruits do not

meet reasonable levels of skill

59% of engineering companies are

concerned that the skills shortage will be

a threat to their business

Source: Engineering UK; IET

£455.6bn Value of engineering to GDP

24.9%

Proportion of UK turnover attributed

to engineering

£27bn

Additional annual value to UK economy,

should the skills gap be met

Education

One in 25

will obtain a physics

A*-C grade A-level

One in 50

will obtain an

engineering degree

52% of organisations anticipate employing

more apprentices in four to five years’ time

Sources: Engineering UK; IET

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First published as a supplement to the New Statesman of 20-26 February 2015. © New Statesman Ltd. All rights reserved. Registered as a newspaper in the UK and USA.

20-26 FEBRUARY 2015 | NEW STATESMAN | 3

Untapped resourcesBuilding the world’s fastest car, designing better smartphones, sending a rover to Mars – some of the most exciting projects taking place in the UK and around the world all have one thing in common: engineers are making them happen. The professionals say that engineering is a great career: the work is exciting and there are jobs aplenty. So what lies behind worrying stats, such as 60 per cent of employers expressing concern about a skill shortage? Or that only 6 per cent of engineers

are women? One of the biggest challenges, as the president of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), William Webb, puts it, is “an image problem”. We are still struggling to shake off stereotypes of hard hats and building sites, and these are deterring young people and young women in particular. Better careers advice on the breadth of engineering opportunities is needed, the IET says.

This special report reflects on this and other challenges that

2 Facts and FiguresThe databaseWe unpack the numbers that lie behind the nationwide engineering skills gap

4 Nicky MorganEngineering our futureThe role of engineering in the UK’s success should not be underestimated, says the Education Secretary

5 John PerkinsA step in the right directionThe response to the Review of Engineering Skills was positive but there is still a long way to go

6 William WebbSupply and demandNow is the time to invest in the skills base that the UK so desperately needs, says the IET’s president

Encouraging more girls to study maths 3D printer and other engineering feats

4 13

must be addressed if the UK is to maximise the potential prosperity and innovation that a flourishing engineering sector would hold.

It will take more than government intervention to close the skills gap. Indeed, of the 22 recommendations made by John Perkins’s Review of Engineering Skills (see page five) only six are directed at the government alone. It will require the efforts of teachers and, perhaps most importantly, role models, too. l

This supplement, and other policy reports, can be downloaded from the NS website at newstatesman.com/page/supplements

7 Naomi Climer“We need to do something radical”Increasing the number of female engineers isn’t just about feminism; there’s a business case, too

8 ERA FoundationUnlocking the labyrinthRaising aspirations to the profession will be critical, says Sir Richard Brook, chair of the ERA Foundation

10 Vox PopsNot just hard hats and overallsIndustry insiders debunk the myth that engineering is all about getting dirty

13 Becky SlackTo boldly go . . .From 3D printing to hoodies that can send a text, engineers are driving our world forward

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THE GOVERNMENT’S VIEW

Engineering will drive the Britain of tomorrow, which is why I am de-termined to get more young people,

particularly girls, excited about what en-gineering careers can offer.

If we are to succeed in the global race, we need to get our children into engi-neering and sciences at a young age – and that starts in the classroom. The Science Council estimates that by 2030 there will be 1.5 million more jobs in the UK de-pendent on science than there are today. As part of this government’s long-term economic plan, we are acting now to put the foundations in place.

We are changing the way young people think about maths and science by open-ing their eyes to the exciting and wide-ranging careers available in the sciences. Too many are turning away from maths and physics at 16 and forgetting about en-gineering careers.

It is not just government calling for ac-tion – employers are demanding it, too. That is why we launched the Your Life campaign last year with the support of industry. Your Life is encouraging more young people, especially girls, to study maths and physics – two of the subjects most highly valued by employers and universities. This is a huge challenge. Participation in maths and physics is too low, particularly among girls, so we must be ambitious.

At A-level, 19 per cent of girls with an A* at GCSE continue with physics, com-pared to half of boys who get the top grade. This is a waste, not just for these students, but for the economy.

Within three years, we want to increase significantly the number of female stu-dents taking maths and physics A-levels

– the gateway to engineering careers. We have made big strides in this parliament but there is still more to do. At A-level, we now have 1,000 more girls studying physics every year – and 2,000 more girls studying maths – compared to 2010.

I welcome the ambition of the National Centre for Universities and Business to double the proportion of women taking undergraduate engineering and technol-ogy to 30 per cent by 2030.

However, university isn’t for everyone. Vocational education has been overhauled to create new high-quality routes into engineering, and we now recognise only those that lead directly to a skilled trade or profession or further study. Companies are getting involved, too, and Jaguar Land Rover, JCB and Siemens are among those on 81 new technical certificates and quali-fications that sit alongside A-levels.

Our commitment of starting two mil-lion apprenticeships in this parliament has been fulfilled. The two millionth ap-prentice is Paige McConville, aged 16,

who has embarked on an Advanced Ap-prenticeship in Engineering Manufacture.

These changes are only part of our effort to prepare young people for life in mod-ern Britain. The battle is also about help-ing employers recruit and retain talent. Your Life has gained backing from more than 200 organisations that have signed up to our call to action. By doing this, they have committed to taking forward measures such as creating and expanding women’s networks and improving train-ing and recruitment measures.

In June, we announced a £10m Devel-oping Women Engineers fund, which will establish training programmes to boost the number of women coming into the profession. And we are funding the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society to run a diversity pro-gramme – with an emphasis on challeng-ing leadership at all levels to deliver the change needed to promote equality.

Under our long-term economic plan, this government is taking action now to fill the engineering jobs of tomorrow – starting in the school science lab. We are presenting young people with a future that is not predetermined, but in which they are free to choose whatever they want to be. A future that is not exclusive to boys or to girls, or to those children who might feel they are naturally more practical than creative.

Our new, world-class curriculum and reformed GCSEs and A-levels will help tomorrow’s engineers succeed in the workplace – and we are determined to help more of them follow this career path. lNicky Morgan is the Secretary of State for Education and minister for women and equalities

The role engineering can play in national success should not be underestimated. Education will enable that success to be realised

By Nicky Morgan

Engineering our future

We need more girls to study maths


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ENGINEERING SKILLS REVIEW

It would benefit the UK economy to in-crease substantially the supply of engi-neers, adding flexibility and resilience

to our economy, and enabling more peo-ple to take advantage of the opportunities created by technological change.

So I wrote in November 2013 in my Re-view of Engineering Skills, commissioned by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Dr Vince Cable; words that provide the motivation to consider ways to strengthen the UK engi-neering “supply system”.

Of course, increasing the supply of en-gineers is not something that a govern-ment acting alone can achieve, nor can this be achieved overnight. The report’s recommendations reflect the need for effective collaboration. Of the 22 recom-mendations, only six are for government alone. The remainder are aimed at em-ployers and the engineering community. Overall, the report is a call to action to work together for the long term to achieve a shared goal.

An integrated approach should start with young people; here, there is a need to inspire more.

The challenge is not a lack of efforts by individuals, groups, professional bodies and employers; what is needed is a more co-ordinated approach. Since the publi-cation of the report, EngineeringUK, on behalf of the engineering profession, has sought to provide a framework to achieve this, through the national roll-out of the Tomorrow’s Engineers initiative. Poten-tially powerful is their implementation of a national database mapping engineering careers engagement undertaken in sec-ondary schools, enabling the targeting of schools that are not being reached, as well

as identifying the available capacity for further activity.

The response from stakeholders to the Tomorrow’s Engineers programme has been very encouraging, including a com-mitment to continue with an annual To-morrow’s Engineers Week, which aims to tackle out-of-date perceptions of engi-neering and raise awareness of engineer-ing careers.

Effective teaching of relevant subjects – mathematics, physics, computing and design and technology – is critical. Here, a major challenge is to recruit and train teachers in these subjects. Government has implemented generous bursaries to attract new recruits. Opportunities for teachers to gain experience of industry are being provided through a network of science learning centres. Maths and phys-ics are important and the Your Life cam-paign, launched in 2014, has as one of its aims the promotion of these A-levels. In addition, the Department for Education has agreed to continue its Stimulating Physics Network, a joint project with the Institute of Physics to increase progres-sion to physics A-level.

The vocational route into engineering has historically played a significant role. The government has put a lot of effort into improving the status and quality of vocational education and apprenticeships. As well as the university technical colleg-es, which offer 14-to-19-year-olds a high-quality education with a clear focus on employment, new national colleges are being established focusing on vital sectors of the economy (eg, manufacturing tech-nology, nuclear, high-speed rail). Reform of the apprenticeship system involves significant engagement with industry

through the Trailblazers programme, with a wide range of engineering sectors, including aerospace, energy, and food and drink manufacturing, being involved in the scheme.

Issues in higher education revolve around the capacity for growth and the sustainability of engineering provision. As a first step to addressing these issues, government has provided extra capital and recurrent funding in support of high-cost subjects such as engineering – capital to enable expansion of capacity and recur-rent funds to come closer to meeting the full costs of provision.

The appetite of the engineering com-munity to work together in the past year has been highly encouraging, and a signif-icant amount of voluntary effort has been put into following up on those recom-mendations in the report, which called for stronger industrial engagement with all parts of the education system relevant to engineering. For instance, four groups of stakeholders worked under the auspices of Engineering the Future to develop spe-cific plans to encourage more industrial involvement in schools, in further educa-tion and in universities.

Overall, good progress has been made in the past year since publication of the report. However, this is a long-term pro-ject, and sustained collaboration will be needed for a number of years to achieve the goal of a substantial increase in the supply of engineers in the UK. So, a promising beginning has been made but there re-mains much to do. Let us hope our collec-tive appetite is sustained. lProfessor John Perkins is the chair of the IET education and skills policy panel and author of the Review of Engineering Skills

The response to the Review of Engineering Skills was positive but there is still a long way to go

By John Perkins

A step in the right direction


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SKILLS TRAINING

When the financial crisis started, Lord Mandelson famously said: “We need less financial engi-

neering and more real engineering.” This remains true today. From the largest projects, such as Crossrail, to the most hi-tech, such as designing the next 5G cel-lular technology, the UK needs hundreds of thousands of skilled engineers each year to maintain and enhance our infra-structure, increase productivity and grow the economy.

However, there is a huge shortage of skills. To meet the projected demand, the number of engineering apprentices and graduates will need to double, according to Engineering UK. These findings are supported by the IET’s Skills and Demand in Industry 2014 report, which found nearly 60 per cent of employers are con-cerned that they will be unable to recruit the engineering talent they need. It may not be as obvious as a lack of trained nurs-es, but the shortfall of engineers could be just as devastating to our well-being.

There has never been a better time to be an engineer: demand far outstrips supply, salaries are high and rising, and the career prospects are extraordinary. But engi-neering suffers from an image problem – far too many associate it with building sites or mending things, while others are put off by the apparent difficulty of the mathematics and physics that underlie much of our most innovating engineering roles. This is particularly so with women – only 6 per cent of the engineering work-force is female and many parents do not consider engineering a suitable career for their daughters. If we could entice as many women into the profession as there

are men, the shortfall would be overcome in one step.

Our research finds that the lack of women is down to a combination of fac-tors: from the careers advice girls are given in schools, to instilling girls with the con-fidence to opt for science and maths at A-level. Employers also need to do more to make their approach to recruitment and retention more female-friendly. Our engineering skills survey finds that 43 per cent of employers are not taking action to improve workplace diversity.

There is a lack of engineering role mod-els for girls. There are some inspirational women, such as Naomi Mitchison, the IET’s 2014 Young Woman Engineer of the Year, who specialises in laser warn-ing systems for military aircraft. Naomi has spoken on the BBC and in the Scot-tish Parliament about the importance of engaging more young people in engineer-ing and other Stem (science, technology, engineering and maths) professions. We need more like her.

IET research shows that while 11 per cent of parents of boys would encour-age their children to consider engineer-ing, among girls’ parents the proportion is 1 per cent. There is work to be done in promoting engineering to parents, too. It is for that reason that during 2015 the IET will be launching a PR campaign to inspire more young people to study engineering-related subjects and become engineers. This will include a series of open-house events at high-profile venues around the UK. But the engineering institutions can only do so much, and despite all our ef-forts there has been disappointingly little change. We need help.

That is why we welcomed the govern-ment’s Perkins Review of Engineering Skills, published in 2013 (see page five for more on this), which outlined recom-mendations to address short and long-term engineering skills issues. The un-derlying message was that government, schools, universities, professional bodies and parents all have a vital role to play in creating a pipeline of engineering talent.

We must work together to promote the range of paths into engineering. Students should be encouraged to pursue those routes that are most appropriate to their strengths, whether through academic or vocational courses. While it is promis-ing to see that since 2013 the number of intermediate apprenticeships (level 2) has more than doubled, it is disappoint-ing that the number of higher appren-ticeships (level 4) has not experienced a similar increase. These courses are crucial to ensuring a sufficient, high-level pool of engineering skills to meet employers’ needs. Creating future talent depends on strong collaboration between employers and the education system. We need to bridge the gap between expectations and achievement, and increase the skills of the workforce to meet demand. The sooner we start, the sooner we reap the benefits.

A decade ago it was the financial sector to which people looked as our economic lifeblood. Today we need to refocus on manufacturing, technology and engi-neering. The UK should now invest in the skilled workforce that the engineering and technology sector desperately needs to remain globally competitive. lProfessor Webb is the president of the Institution of Engineering and Technology

There has never been a better time to be an engineer. Now we need to deliver the skills base to maximise this opportunity

By William Webb

Supply and demand


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WOMEN IN ENGINEERING

Like a lot of people, I didn’t get great career advice. I did well at school but I wasn’t encouraged to consider engineering. It was only after I was accepted on to a BBC training scheme and introduced to broadcast engineering that I began to be exposed to the potential it offered. I re-ally loved working in TV and radio. From the BBC, I went to ITV, then did a stint in independent commercial radio, before eventually ending up at Sony, where I am president of Sony Media Cloud Services. I am also president-elect of the IET and will take up the post in October this year.

My career has been an incredible adven-ture, with fantastic challenges and op-portunities. I have met the Pope, been to major international sporting events and visited cities all over the world. There has been a huge amount of travel, more than I could have ever dreamed of.

The lack of women in engineering and what that means for feminism is an area where I find it difficult to take the right line. There is no silver bullet. I feel strongly that to get on at work you need to be competent and work hard. If you are convinced eve-rything that doesn’t work is because you are a woman, that’s dangerous. However, I would like to see a more diverse mix. When I started in engineering I was very anti quotas, but 20 or 30 years on, the sta-tistics haven’t changed much.

I increasingly feel we need to do some-thing unpopular and radical to force the issue. I am confident that once you get 50/50 diversity it will become normal. But we need to create the step change, otherwise it will be 400 years before we achieve parity.

There is a compelling business case for gen-der diversity within engineering. We have seen that diverse teams operate more ef-fectively and with more creativity, bring-ing different ideas to the table. That can be very good, both for business and for the people involved.

Role models are important. In particular we need to make younger role models more visible. When I was 16 I couldn’t relate to a 50-year-old – female or male. I needed a 23-year-old to inspire me.

Engineering in the UK as a whole could do with image change. Many other countries don’t experience the same challenges. In China gender diversity is more balanced, as it is in eastern Europe. In the US, engi-neers are rock stars. The expensive man-sions up in the hills could belong to a celeb-rity, or they could belong to an engineer.

I wish there was lovely soundbite that de-scribed why the UK struggles with this. It is about everything from the way people are brought up, the way they play and learn, to how they are encouraged in school. Right from birth, girls are given signals that engineering is not the right career for

them – from the pink toys aisle to the fact engineering has an image of being macho and physical. It does not boil down to something a girl will instinctively choose.

We can do a better job of promoting engi-neering as a career. This includes high-lighting how it is about creative problem-solving, not just dirty overalls and hard hats. We need a more concerted effort with teachers and parents. I believe that if we pool the efforts of all the individual initiatives that are taking place, we would see more of a difference.

Stem subjects (science, technology, engi-neering and mathematics) are crucial, but these are not always the most popular. So it is important to ensure young people get good-quality careers advice. If they make choices at 16, they may find they have dropped a subject they needed.

It is hard to know when is the right mo-ment to pitch engineering to young people. There is such a wide variety of options available and engineering is intrinsic in everything you look at, from fashion to power generation to biomedicine. There are also jobs that haven’t even been in-vented yet that will eventually be avail-able to today’s young people. And while in many sectors it is currently difficult to get a job, in engineering, jobs are available and it is reasonable to assume that trend will continue, given the global infrastruc-ture projects taking place. In engineering you get a better shot at employment than other types of careers. lNaomi Climer is the president of Sony Media Cloud Services and the president-elect of the IET

Increasing the number of women in engineering isn’t just about feminism, says Naomi Climer. There is a compelling business case for it, too

“We need to do something radical”


Gender diverse teams are good for business

IET

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SUPPORTED BY THE ERA FOUNDATION

Building a community of active and gifted engineers is a recognised and pressing national challenge. The

skills shortage is already making life dif-ficult for employers; more than one in four say they struggle to find staff with the skills they need. According to Engi-neering UK, if we are to benefit from the opportunity this sector offers as the UK recovers after recession and stagnation, some 257,000 new engineering vacan-cies will need to be filled within the next seven years.

The diversity of the profession – tele-communications, aerospace, health, cars, bridges, sport, manufacturing, shipping, entertainment – makes a general appeal simplistic. Equally, the diversity of the potential aspirants, each one with a per-sonal, even if unclarified, ambition, makes a general appeal patronising.

“The path from aspirant to profession is complex and personal, and it must begin early. This backs up the current national emphasis on the critical access subjects such as science, technology and mathematics,” says Professor Sir Richard Brook, chair of the ERA Foundation.

“This is a shared national emergency, with many developed countries facing the same challenge. That competition inten-sifies our need to get to the right solution. Engineering UK, Tomorrow’s Engineers,

and the measures advocated in the gov-ernment’s Perkins report, combined with the imaginative initiatives advanced by the leading engineering institutions, are doing an excellent job in promoting the profession,” he adds. “A national cam-paign is well under way.”

As with other labyrinths, there are entry points as well as exits. The ERA Foundation is therefore adopting a com-plementary “access” approach to assist all those seeking answers to their questions. Signposts are needed in order to help young people, as well as their parents, their teachers, policymakers and opinion-formers, negotiate the path from aspira-tion to qualification.

As Brook says: “Children have multiple imaginations. They have different ways of seeing life. We need to create a system responsive and sympathetic to different types of imagination and creativity. The journey towards a career is one of life’s most challenging voyages.”

He explains: “The starting point is dif-ferent for everyone, since the talent, am-bition and character are those of an indi-vidual. The journey itself is complicated, since the language at the start – an array of defined subjects at school – is different from the language at the close – a set of changing demands linked to employment in the wider world. The endpoint is not

only different for each individual but is one that refines its character throughout the trip.

“This is particularly true for engineer-ing. The wealth of eventual careers covers all the disciplines of engineering and eve-ry sphere where those disciplines make their contribution. The common factor, that an engineer uses skill, experience and vision to find creative answers to the challenges which face us, is a noble aspi-ration but one which even enlarges the extent of the choice.”

The ERA Foundation website (find it at www.engineeringinsite.com) aims to ad-dress the need for signposts by highlight-ing where the best information about engineering can be found. Its intention is to act as a map that will guide visitors on their journey: not as a vision imposed from above, but as a logical, collabora-tive and interlinked record of data and opportunities, much of which has been contributed by imaginative, energetic and enthusiastic groups that wish to help the traveller on the way.

“The work of Stem organisations such as the Arkwright Scholarship and Small-peice Trusts, the Royal Institution, the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, Young Engineers, Imagineering, Engineering Explained – and many oth-ers – is exemplary,” Brook says. “And the

Successfully attracting skilled people into engineering is proving difficult; so much so, that it has been described as a national emergency

Unlocking the labyrinth

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engineering institutions continue to do sterling work.

The ERA Foundation, in collabora-tion with 1851 and the IET, is producing new “peer” content. Role-model videos, under the banner “Were you born to en-gineer?” aim to provoke and encourage, and are already finding responsive audi-ences at Stem clubs and in the classroom, as well as being accessed online widely, including across social media channels.

The website is directed both to the as-pirant and at all those others who must play a part in the successful completion of the career choice journey, such as teach-ers, whose work in inspiring students to consider a range of careers is undisputed.

“However, recognising the many de-mands placed on teachers, we need to pro-vide something which can complement their work, and which can be happily in-tegrated into ongoing tasks.”

Business also has an important role to play within schools, and Brook is a keen supporter of the efforts being made by the engineering institutions to encourage more industry representatives to speak to students about what it means to work within their chosen field.

“The influence of an experienced indi-vidual in shaping career choice can be dra-matic; the unexpected meeting of minds that can occur on such occasions is hard

to predict but it has shaped many lives of high achievement,” Brook emphasises.

Parents are a curiously unsung but vital piece of the jigsaw. Families are the most common source of careers advice for pu-pils, a fact well recognised by the Insti-tute for Public Policy Research. They, too, must be given the chance to explore the value of engineering as a career.

Not only are engineers in high demand, their roles can be financially rewarding. Some two-thirds of engineering gradu-ates find their way into full-time employ-ment within six months of graduating; they also have high starting salaries.

The skills gap will not be addressed by one group alone. Parents, teachers and business – supported by government and the professional engineering bodies – all need to work together to ensure that this challenge is met.

“The old adage ‘You’ve got to know what you’re good at’ is still true. Natu-ral talent and flair must be in the picture when young people are encouraged to pursue a career,” Brook says. “However, it would be a tragedy if someone genu-inely gifted were to miss out because they didn’t have access to the required infor-mation and encouragement. We hope that individual support within a national campaign can become a welcome key to the labyrinth!” l

Teachers have an important role to play in inspiring students to take up engineering

Case study

From small seeds do big trees grow

What began as an AS-level project for one student, George Edwards, has been developed into a fully functioning product that is now being put out to international markets.

Trudging through wind and rain to change a caravan gas bottle is never something holidaymakers enjoy, and when George Edwards’s teacher was bemoaning this task it sparked the young student into action. With the support of his school, he created a gadget to attach to gas bottles, which then connects to a mobile-phone app and notifies the caravan owner when it is running low.

“Gas Sense is our product name and company,” Edwards says. “When we did the ‘Engineer for Britain’ exhibition, people came past and said that it was a really great product, which was very exciting. Companies started getting in touch and I am now looking at licensing the product to a manufacturer. I’ll receive the royalty income and they’ll be able to get it out to a far wider market than I’d be able to on my own.

“My engineering teacher was hugely passionate. We also have engineers in residence at my school, who have been very supportive. I was encouraged to spend time and effort to make the project happen.

“As an engineer, you have a sense that anything is possible. Any problem that is thrown up, you’ll be able to find a solution for it, as long as you have the resources, the people and the expertise to do it.

“One of the best things schools can do is to engage with industry, such as reaching out and getting in touch with local companies and arranging trips and work experience. It’s really interesting for the students, and parents love their children working on such projects. It can be very positive for all involved.” l

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VIEW FROM INDUSTRY

Designing a car that could be the world’s fastest combines aerospace technology with creative thinkingI am the chief engineer on the Blood-hound Project. I lead a world-class team drawn from the worlds of space, fast jets and Formula 1, all attracted by the chal-lenge of designing a car that will cover a mile in just 3.6 seconds.

A Bugatti Veyron has 1,000bhp and does 250mph. However, these statistics don’t mean that Bloodhound needs four times the power to go four times as fast. In fact, drag quadruples every time the speed doubles, so we need the equivalent of 135,000 thrust hp to reach our target speed – more than eight times the com-bined power output of the entire F1 grid.

As an aerospace engineer, I have worked on commercial airliners, experi-mental planes and jet fighters. Creating Bloodhound requires the same skills and qualities. It means thinking laterally, mastering state-of-the-art technologies

and materials, and managing a seemingly endless series of contradictions.

So far, we have spent more than 110 person years creating the car in a 3D vir-tual world, pushing computer design to the limit.

It has to contain 20 tonnes of thrust, cope with 12 tonnes of air pressure and prevent the four solid metal wheels – each one weighing 90kg and revolving 170 times per second – from ripping the vehicle apart. Bloodhound must be im-mensely strong. However, it also has to stop within a finite distance, which means every gram counts.

We are combining a state-of-the-art jet with hybrid rockets destined for the next generation of space launchers, with a Jaguar V8 engine to power the rocket system.

It is this combination of technologies that makes this project so interesting, and why people in 220 countries are following our “engineering adventure”.

The Bloodhound initiative aims to in-spire the next generation of scientists and engineers by showcasing science and engineering in the most exciting way possible.

When I do presentations to schools and see children making sense of Newton’s Third Law – thanks to our supersonic car – I know it is worth the long hours. lMark Chapman is the chief engineer on the Bloodhound Project

Engineers help to solve the world’s most pressing problemsEngineering is really problem-solving, so this job is about having the skills to identify the real problem and developing and delivering the right solution. It is fan-tastic to be able to make a real difference through engineering.

The problems facing society and gov-ernments around the world are similar; everyone is worried about climate change, surviving natural disasters, poverty and

Engineering has a reputation of being all about building bridges and getting dirty. But it involves far more than that, as our vox pops show

Not just hard hats and overalls

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health, and a reliable supply of water and energy. You need engineers to solve these problems. They build the fabric of soci-ety: sanitation, hospitals, schools, water supplies, power stations and so on.

A much wider base of skills is required to complement the best technical engi-neering expertise in order to meet the challenges we face today as well as the future. Change management and trans-formational change, strong leadership, credibility to manage key stakeholders (politicians, local communities, etc) are all much needed, and this presents a chal-lenge for academia and our industry.

I first joined Arup, a global design firm of about 12,000 people with more than 90 offices around the world, as a pre-university trainee in 1991. After gaining my honours degree in civil and struc-tural engineering in 1995 I have since risen through the ranks to become the first woman director in the firm’s UK-Middle East infrastructure division. I was

also the first woman on the firm’s global infrastructure board.

I am forever being written to as Mr Hall and receiving emails addressed to “Gents” and I am always in a minority. To be hon-est I don’t notice it any more; I just get on with my job. There are enough real wor-ries to think about. Don’t waste energy on ones you can’t do anything about.

My career has taken me around the globe working on key projects in Asia, America, Brisbane, UK and Ireland. In my early career I worked on the design of Hong Kong’s new airport station on Hong Kong Island and then moved to be-ing on-site. Working as a blonde, white female on-site in Hong Kong – a henna gaijin, or “strange foreigner” – was cer-tainly a defining point.

The construction workers couldn’t work out what to make of me. It was a sink-or-swim situation. But using the new station and flying out of the airport four years on was an amazing feeling; to

think that I had contributed to changing people’s lives for the better. Similarly, being able to see the outcome of my con-tribution to working on the London 2012 Olympic Park where I led the engineering design team for five years was an unfor-gettable experience.

To be able to see, touch and use what you have designed and worked hard to deliver makes you so proud. That is what gets you up and into work every day. Every project has its unique challenges and learning opportunities, that is why I love my job. lKate Hall is a director at Arup

Even after 27 years, I am still learning every dayIn 1987, when I graduated with a degree in production engineering and economics, I wasn’t sure where that would lead me, but it ended up giving me the opportu-nity to pursue a very varied and exciting career with Rolls-Royce. t

Creative thinking, problem-solving and mastering technology – they’re all in day’s work for an engineer


VIEW FROM INDUSTRY

Two key elements attracted me to the company. The first was that it offered an excellent graduate scheme where I got the opportunity to move around dif-ferent roles for about 18 months, learn-ing about the business, until I took my first permanent role as a development engineer. The second was the appeal of working on such an interesting product with such a strong brand and reputation for engineering excellence; there are few products that combine such a high level of technology in design, manufacturing, materials and support, and it always gives me a thrill to look out of an aircraft win-dow and see the distinctive Rolls-Royce logo on the engine.

People often say that these days there is no such thing as a job for life. But I have now been with Rolls-Royce for more than 27 years. I have stayed here because I have had the chance to evolve my career, spending six years supporting our airline customers and over seven years in mar-keting before my current role, as services executive for the Trent XWB, the world’s most efficient large civil aero engine.

This role is all about the support that we provide for our customers, whether that is optimising the rework of the en-gines when they require off-wing main-tenance or establishing a global network of people, parts and engines to ensure we minimise the effect of any in-service events. Certainly, my engineering back-ground is important but I also utilise business, commercial and programme management skills, and this breadth means I am still learning every day. lKath Warriner is Trent XWB services executive at Rolls-Royce

Engineers are obsessed with finding new improvementsThe company I work for is called Box. It provides enterprise software for file-sharing and collaboration, particularly focused on enterprises. I joined the firm when it acquired my tech business, dLoop, which uses machine learning al-gorithms and graph analysis to detect the similarities among documents and or-ganise them into clusters that are searcha-ble not just by keyword, but by relevance.

As engineers, my team obsesses about finding new ways to improve our prod-uct. We spend hours developing, design-ing, implementing and testing our ma-chine learning solutions. The teamwork,

start-up mentality and support from the leadership team help us build new solu-tions in a very short time.

I have also had access to exciting per-sonal growth opportunities. For instance, when I joined Box I was given the chance to build my own start-up within a start-up. I had full autonomy to define the first customer use case for our machine learn-ing product, build the team, plan the pro-ject and execute on it. I had to market and sell different ideas to determine what was best for the company and our custom-ers. It has been a process through which I have learned so much.

Today we are building infrastruc-ture for an innovative machine learning product. My job is to make sure we get the most from this first-of-its-kind solu-tion. I am challenged every day, which has been very beneficial to my personal and professional development, and I am always proud when I see our efforts no-ticeably impact the customer experience. That is one of the most rewarding things about working as an engineer. lDivya Jain is a staff software engineer at Box

Teaching engineering is hugely rewarding and excitingI am a maths teacher. My degree was in civil and structural engineering. I did an apprenticeship for about six years, be-came a junior engineer and then decided I was going to apply to Teach First.

It was their mission that enticed me and I was looking forward to doing some-thing more rewarding. With Teach First,

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I wanted to go into schools to make an impact, and provide expertise in subjects like mathematics that they might strug-gle to get otherwise.

The work is quite emotionally pres-sured compared to private industry, not least because you are responsible for the children. Every day you walk in and get to be the conductor of that lesson. You are centre stage and have to perform in front of the kids. They need to see positive en-ergy on a daily basis. I find it really enjoy-able to work with the lower-ability class-es; to see them succeed is really exciting. Teachers need good presentation skills. They need to be confident, assertive and able to deal with conflict. You need this on a minute-to-minute basis.

Organisational skills are essential be-cause there is such a high workload. It’s also important to have emotional intelli-gence and be able to deal with human be-ings who have bad days. The best way to learn is to get into a school and get some experience. And of course, teachers need to be able to explain difficult concepts to people who are just beginning to learn about a topic. Doing this successfully is much more difficult than just being able to understand a concept and using that information internally.

Education is an issue that politicians use to score points, which can sometimes be discouraging for those wanting to go into teaching. Develop a system based on trust, and I am sure more young peo-ple will get involved. lDan West is a maths teacher in north-west London


Supersonic careers: engineers on the Bloodhound Project are trying to break the land speed record

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Three-dimensional worldFrom the printing out of tools or equip-ment to houses and even food (last year, students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology successfully printed ed-ible ice cream), the potential 3D printing offers is huge. But it is perhaps in the field of medicine where it offers the most ex-citing results. In March 2014, surgeons in the Netherlands for the first time replaced a woman’s skull with a plastic version made using a 3D printer.

The 22-year-old needed the 23-hour operation because her skull was becom-ing thicker, putting pressure on her brain. Individual sections of a skull had been replicated using 3D printing, but this was the first time doctors had successfully im-planted a whole cranium. It joins a grow-ing list of printed body parts, including a fingertip, hands, ears and arms.

Medical miraclesResearch is making huge advances in the treatment of major diseases such as can-cer and strokes where there is a pressing need to target drugs to specific parts of the body in order to minimise exposure of healthy tissue.

One such example comes from Eleanor Stride, an award-winning professor at the University of Oxford. She is leading work to reduce serious side effects and increase the number of patients who are eligible for treatment. Professor Stride has just won the IET’s £300,000 A F Harvey En-gineering Research Prize.

Meanwhile, stroke patients who have lost movement in their arms may soon be able to have a robotic limb fitted. Students in the Faculty of Engineering at Western University in Canada have developed a robot that, by connecting with the brain,

From the invention of vital utilities to transportation and IT, engineering has done more to advance the world than perhaps any other profession. Today the situation is no different

By Becky Slack

To boldly go. . .

can move the arm and wrist and enable the hand to squeeze.

Innovation in biotechnology is also helping to predict, prevent and treat many conditions. Advances in diagnos-tics are enabling a reduction in drug er-rors and improved efficacy, such as con-tact lenses that administer drugs through the eye.

Future farmingAgricultural engineering is often at the forefront of scientific developments, fre-quently translating technologies devel-oped by Nasa and other bodies into prac-tical solutions for food production.

Driverless tractors, drones that reveal irrigation problems and soil variations, and automated milking machines that al-low cows to choose when they want to be milked are a sample of what is on offer.

The disappearing buildingIn Seoul, South Korea, engineers have designed and are to build an invisible sky-scraper. Rather than attempting to break records for the world’s tallest building,

the 1,476-foot (450-metre) structure is planned to blend in with its setting. Real-time images of the building’s surround-ings will be displayed on hundreds of LED screens spread over the exterior of the tower, enabling observers to take in the view it would otherwise block, in ef-fect rendering it invisible.

Home improvementsTechnology that controls heating and lighting within the home is becoming in-creasingly popular as people seek to use less energy and reduce costs.

The Aros air conditioning system com-bines information on usage, weather con-ditions and budget to produce a schedule that balances comfort and cost. The app also uses information about an individ-ual’s movements, working patterns and holiday arrangements to anticipate the arrival of homeowners and cool the room before they arrive.

Sci-fi fashionTechnology isn’t just about equipment for homes and the workplace. Cloth-ing and accessories can also incorporate computer and advanced electronic tech-nologies. Students at the Tisch School of the Arts in New York designed a hoodie that sends pre-programmed text mes-sages triggered by gesture movements; in a London College of Fashion competition the winning item was a cocktail dress fea-turing Bluetooth technology that lit up when a call was received.

For those who want to be more discreet about the calls and texts they get, there is an 18-carat gold-plated ring that connects with a smartphone and notifies the wearer when people are trying to get in touch. lAdditional research by Zak Bentley

The printing of new skulls is now possible

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UK-based manufacturers of all sizes areinvesting heavily in training apprentices,to ensure the next generation ofengineers are equipped with a broadrange of Stem skills to meet thedemands of the future.

One such company that has taken action tobridge this skills gap is Craftsman Tools ofOtley in West Yorkshire. Craftsman Tools is afamily-owned firm with more than 60 yearsof heritage and a workforce of more than60, including 10 full-time apprentices.

The apprentices undertake a four yeartraining course supported by AMRC withBoeing, which is part of SheffieldUniversity. Craftsman has also developed a dedicated training space within itsfactory to ensure trainees have the bestpractical and theoretical skills.

Robert Johnson managing director ofCraftsman said: “We have invested heavily in our apprentice scheme with acommitment to train skilled workers fromthe local region to help secure the futureneeds of our business.”

He continued: “Partnerships betweengovernment, industry and academicinstitutions are vital to the continuedgrowth of manufacturing within the UK.Bringing through the next generation ofskilled engineers will only be achieved witha long-term commitment from all parties.That’s as relevant to SMEs that are looking to their futures, such as Craftsman, as it is to multinationals.”

Another concern for themanufacturingsector is attracting femaleengineers – in factthe UK has thelowest proportionof femaleengineers in thewhole of Europe.Recent statisticsfrom the IET’s(Skills andDemand) surveyshowed thatwomen representonly six per cent of the UK'sengineeringworkforce.

Gloucestershirefirm Renishaw plchas one of thelargest engineering apprentice trainingschemes in the UK and has receivednational plaudits for its staff development.In December 2014 Lucy Ackland, a projectmanager working on Renishaw’s nextgeneration metal 3D printing machine, andgraduate of Reinshaw’s apprenticeshipscheme, was awarded the Women’sEngineering Society (WES) Prize at the IET’sYoung Woman Engineer of the Year awards.

Upon receiving the award, Lucyencouraged other women to follow in herfootsteps, saying: “ I’m pleased to be

Encouraging engineering in theclassroom – bridging the skills gap

The Manufacturing Technologies Association

Engineering-based manufacturing demands a highly skilled workforce to deliverexcellence. A study by The Royal Academy of Engineering published in 2014found that Britain’s industry will need 100,000 new graduates in Stem subjectsand a further 60,000 technicians and apprentices every year until 2020, merely to maintain current employment numbers.

Lucy Ackland receives her WES Award from the BBC’s Steph McGovern

www.craftsmantools.comwww.renishaw.com

considered a role model for futuregenerations of female engineers because I believe engineering is a really enjoyablecareer choice but sometimes people areput off by misleading stereotypes.”

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How important is it for manufacturing to bridge the skills gap in the UK?The mini renaissance that UKmanufacturing is enjoying is fantastic news for everyone. For the last six or seven years, the sector has enjoyed moregovernment support than for a long time.

However, we have a serious skills gap in the UK, and we are struggling to find talent,particularly in engineering. If we do nothave the right skills to design, to engineer,to do the applications and to operate theadvanced technology, we will struggle toclose the productivity gap with ourcompetitors and fail to make therenaissance sustainable.

High-value manufacturing, which feedsinto crucial sectors from aerospace topower generation, has the potential to addhugely to the economic success of thecountry. The value derives from intellectualproperty and the ability of themanufacturer to push the boundaries ofboth capability and technology, toconstantly differentiate themselves fromtheir worldwide competitors. It demandspeople with the highest skills.

How can we redress this balance?It is simple, we do more of what we havebeen doing well for the past few years;there are a lot of good things going on, but much of it is in pockets.

Here at the MTA we make grants tocompanies to take on apprentices. We’ve supported the development ofinnovative new apprenticeship pathwaysthat bring together technical andcommercial skills.

At MACH, our trade show, which is Britain’s biggest industrial event, we hostthousands of young people, showing them the careers they could have and the technology they could work with.

At what stage do you think childrenshould be taught about engineering?You can’t start too early. I went in to mychildren’s primary school a few years agoand was amazed how boys and girls alikewere rapt with what I thought would

be beyond their grasp. I broughtcomponents for them to play with andasked them to guess where they camefrom, be it a car, an aeroplane or factorymachinery. We actually ran out of time,they were having so much fun. I wasabsolutely staggered at the level ofengagement the children had. The MTAsupports a charity, Imagineering, whichsends engineers into primary schools togive that kind of hands-on experience.imagineering.org.uk

What role do teachers and parents havein encouraging engagement in engineering?There is still a long way to go, I think thatthe professional classes will all nod and feign interest in manufacturing and sit andsmile politely. But the acid test for them iswhen we say “would you be happy for yourchild to go into the engineering industry?”

When they don’t just nod, but actuallymean it, will be when we know we’rewinning. At the moment there is anincreased awarenessand perhaps passivesupport, but littleactive support. Tomany parents of teenage childrenit is second classcompared toaccountancy,politics, the city orlaw. I think that isthe key to winningthe battle and I dothink we are becoming better equipped.Engineering is the only industry I can thinkof that you can join at 16, gain a PhD andleave with no debt. If you can’t sell that, it is pretty pathetic.

How can we redress the imbalance of women in engineering? And is the problem as widespread aspublicised?Manufacturing and engineering has animage problem, in the sense of an old-fashioned shop floor environment whichwomen may feel is not for them. The

perception is changing but there is more to do.

I suspect we are missing a trick, not just by failing to get more women intoapprenticeships, but also in failing toattract them later in their careers whenmanufacturing can offer a good work lifebalance. The key is to be flexible. SMEs sometimes find that difficult. But you tend to get a very high quality of employee both male and female if you areprepared to be flexible around family lifeand that would be a strong message I want to put out there.

The Manufacturing Technologies

Association62 Bayswater Road

London W2 3PS

T: +44 (0)20 7298 6400F: +44 (0)20 7298 6430

E: [email protected]: www.mta.org.uk

James Selka has recently joined the MTA as its chief executive, bringing with him a wealth ofexperience of hands-on engineering andmanaging manufacturing companies. Heexplains how he sees the skills challenges thatthe sector faces.

“Engineering is the only industryI can think of that you can join at16, gain a PhD and leave with nodebt. If you can’t sell that, it ispretty pathetic.”James Selka, MTA

James Selka, MTA

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