Gas engineer awards aim to address recruitment dilemma
3 Apr 2018
Leading engineering body the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM) has launched a raft of scholarships and awards to encourage newcomers to the industry and their mentors.
These include three scholarships aimed at undergraduates, first-year undergraduates and postgraduates, with a combined value of up to £21,500.
Further grants of £1,500 each will also be available for students in financial need, announced the Institution’s president Sheila Lauchlan during IGEM’s Sir Denis Rooke Memorial Lecture event at London’s King’s Fund.
The awards have been prompted by increasing concern about the impending shortage of new engineers. EU Skills recently reported that the utilities sector needed to fill nearly 221,000 roles by 2027, with the UK strongly affected.
If we can’t find competent replacements for these workers, it could have major implications
Sheila Lauchlan, president, IGEM
Said Lauchlan: “A fifth of the utilities sector’s 500,000-strong UK workforce will retire in the next ten years and around 90,000 more will move to other roles, creating 31,000 new jobs.
“If we can’t find competent replacements for these workers, it could have major implications for the 65 million people who rely on these critical services every day.
IGEM has also launched the EngTech of the Year Award to recognise engineering technician members and the contribution they are making to the gas sector, industry and wider community.
“The purpose of these scholarships, grants and awards is to support future engineers on their educational journey and beyond,” explained Lauchlan.
“In particular, we are keen to recognise the contribution of our EngTech members, many of whom will go on to become the engineering leaders of the future.”
