
31 May Skills gap research: British teens don’t know how to enter engineering
A new skills gap report from Jobsite (read here) has revealed that as many as 50% of 16 to 18 year olds would consider a career in engineering.
That’s significantly higher than many people in our sector would have estimated, given how there’s a shortfall of at least 20,000 skilled workers per year. So, if 50% of young people in this age group would consider engineering, why is the conversion rate so low?
According to the report it’s because 63% of teens surveyed were not aware of the qualifications needed to pursue it and a staggering 70% have not been presented with any opportunities for work experience in the sector.
It’s clear there is a need for educators and employers to demonstrate a clear path into these careers for young people today. This means being more proactive; the sector can no longer sit back and wait for qualified engineers to leave university. Work experience, apprenticeships and on the job training all have a crucial role to play in making engineering more accessible.
We opened our apprentice training school last year and the response we’ve seen has been incredible. We’ve not yet reached summer and the number of applications for this year’s intake has been much higher than anticipated. It just proves that if you provide the opportunities, young people will seize them.
We’re extremely proud to be training the next generation. We sincerely hope more engineering firms will join us in this highly rewarding practice, whether that’s through work experience, apprenticeships and on the job training. It can all make a difference.
Want to learn more about our apprentice training school? Click here.