Recruit from a ‘reservoir of talent’ to tackle engineering skills shortages and improve diversity

“We heard from real engineers and found great examples of the changes that could power engineering skills in the future and how those skills are already changing dramatically. They helped us to find a reservoir of future talent that we can access but it will mean changes to education, professional registration and recruitment if we want to succeed at scale and profit from AI and the next industrial revolution.”

“This report is a welcome addition to the debate about future skills needs. It highlights that together, universities, business and government can do more to equip the UK for a productive and inclusive future. To take full advantage of the UK’s reservoir of talent, upskilling, reskilling and mobility between sectors needs to be fully supported and integrated in an industrial strategy that embraces interdisciplinary working.”

“The leaky pipeline analogy of missing skills in engineering erroneously assumes that entry to the sector is from one direction only, but in reality many people – and especially women – who did not choose engineering early in their career have skills that are relevant and crucial to our future engineering needs. This report starts to explore the skills mix that will be needed in the future and how we can mobilise talent into our industry from other sectors.”

“In the late 90’s, the UK engineering profession was one of the first across the globe to embrace the shift in competence assurance from looking at traditional inputs to objective assessment of outcomes. As society’s engagement with learning and the needs of work continue to evolve, then so too should our approach to professional recognition, which increasingly should be supported by needs based engagement. This report provides the sector with a prompt to start that debate.”

“The Talent 2050 report makes an important contribution to the debate around how we shape the future of UK engineering. It’s not what firms want to hear, but we can’t transform the talent pool in the next 5 years – the lead time for genuine change is a full education cycle. Looking further ahead is sensible and sets realistic timescales. In the meantime, businesses have to solve recruitment and skills challenges by engaging in their local communities, working with education partners, looking at opportunities for reskilling and upskilling the existing workforce, and attracting new entrants to the industry from other sectors. Breaking down outdated stereotypes around engineering and the wider manufacturing sector, particularly with regards to gender, will be crucial if we are to get the best people into the right roles to help the industry thrive.”

“The world around us is changing at an unprecedented rate. With the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution it is imperative that we prepare for skills currency not only for now but for the future. Research projects such as Talent 2050 are vital to ensure that employers and educators understand the skills required and can work in collaboration to bridge the gap both through academia and continuous development. We were honoured to be involved in the project and support any initiative that promotes STEM subjects in education. At NATS, we are committed to attracting and retaining employees with diverse backgrounds and are passionate about developing our staff. We are also dedicated in helping to build and develop STEM talent for the future to support the skills gaps in an ever-increasing global market.”

“Clearly, for those aspiring to be engineers, in learning now or advancing their careers, the engineering sector of the future will provide significant opportunities. At Pearson we are working with key stakeholders to ensure that these opportunities are realised for all through the provision of high quality and accessible career education. Our own work at Pearson and the work of the Talent 2050 report highlight how important this is.”

“This report highlights the substantial role that universities can play in enabling the engineering sector to access a greater and more diverse reservoir of talent. There is an exciting opportunity for universities to be at the forefront of inter-sectoral mobility – enabling people from wider educational and social backgrounds to upskill and reskill throughout their lives, so they can bring their fresh thinking and other skills to the world of engineering. This needs universities, employers and government to work together to provide the types of support and courses that will enable a more varied range of learners to make the step into engineering; but the prize is a vibrant engineering sector which contributes substantively to our industrial strategy, the UK economy and society.”

“Skills shortages in STEM, and in particular engineering are well documented. Allowing all people of all ages the opportunity to acquire these skills is essential if we are to address these shortages and achieve a sustainable supply to meet the ever changing needs of the sector and wider economy. Flexibility is key to giving everyone the opportunity to fit study around their work, family and other responsibilities. A flexible lifelong learning model helps to embed this flexibility and ultimately encourage more diversity in the workforce.”