By Duncan Newman, Economic Development Officer
Wow! What an event Careers in Engineering turned out to be!
When I and Rob Palmer, Assistant Headteacher at The Grange School, Christchurch, initially approached Bruno Smith, HR Director and Karen Moss, HR Manager at Curtiss-Wright and asked if they would host an event which promoted careers in engineering to local students, we were hoping for a successful event but I was incredibly pleased about how well the event was received by employers, students, parents and everyone else involved.
Nationally and locally, there is a critical skills shortage in the Engineering sector. The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)* has reported that last year 23% of the UK’s turnover was generated by the engineering sector (£1.23 trillion). However, 46% of employers in engineering surveyed by the IET reported recruitment difficulties.
It is also predicted that 203,000 people with level3+ engineering skills will be needed every year in the UK to meet demand through to 2024. With a potential annual shortfall of up to 59,000 engineering graduates and technicians, events such as the Careers in Engineering event are vital in ensuring young people are informed of the opportunities available to them when they choose a career in engineering.
The event, which involved help and support from many partners, was arranged as part of a series of events and activities organised by the Technical Skills Development group (TSDG) in support of the Year of Engineering. The TSDG are a group of key local businesses and stakeholders who are working together to tackle the local skills gap.
Nineteen international engineering employers working from local premises attended the event, providing students with the opportunity to learn about training and careers within a sector specific environment. The intention, which we achieved, was to focus on what it was like to work as an engineer, the projects, the teamwork, the career paths etc.
Bruno Smith said, “It was great to see so many families at the event. We were bowled away with the number of people who were prepared to come out on a cold dark November evening to find out about engineering. It is a real testament to the interest there is in engineering.”
Rob Palmer added, “We were impressed to see so many parents and young people from such a wide range of schools came along and talked direct to the businesses. We know that students really focus on their studies when they can see where it will lead them.”
There were many positive comments from parents and students too.
“What a fantastic event! This gave my son the opportunity to speak to many different engineers and apprentices plus a tour of the facilities which has helped him massively. He has gone from a lad who is quite interested in engineering to someone who is hugely excited about the prospect of working in the Industrial / Mechanical side of engineering which will only focus his mind even further on his GCSE’s. Brilliant!”
The atmosphere was lively, the room was busy and we truly appreciated all the support the event received.
Special thanks to all the nineteen employers – AIM Altitude, AGI Ltd, Aish Technologies Ltd, BAE Systems, Caterpillar Marine Power, Cobham PLC, Eaton Aerospace, Groveley Engineering, Honeywell Aerospace, KDC Group, Magellan Aerospace, REID Steel, Siemens Mobility Limited, Signature TechnicAir, Spherea Test and Services, Sunseeker International Limited, Superior Seals, Ultra Electronics
*Figures from The Engineering UK Report 2018