Process could miss out in new golden age for engineering
30 Oct 2008
The promise of a high salary - as demonstrated by the recent IChemE survey (see below) - is clearly important when it comes to tempting more young people into engineering. Indeed, if current economic trends continue, in five to ten years the industry will have no problems whatsoever attracting recruits, and it will in fact be seen as one of the most prestigious career paths in the UK. Whether there will be sufficient people to fill all the available positions is another matter.
The UK is waking up once more to the true worth of engineers. Going back to Victorian times, engineers were seen to be the key group in society who were forging the country out of the dark ages and, as such, were among the most respected and highest paid groups.
Fast forward to the modern day and engineering is perceived by the general public as dull and lacking in prestige, with employers facing a growing skills shortfall. This is reflected in the public's liberal application of the title 'engineer' to a wide range of jobs ranging from mechanics and technicians to degree-qualified professionals.
However, the energy situation is starting to change, and this will have a direct impact on how the engineer is perceived. The security of energy supplies is no longer assured, and rising costs and talk of resources running out further crystallises the issue.
In ten or so year's time, when energy rationing kicks in and the lights start to go out, engineers will once again be in demand and their true worth will emerge. Everyone will then realise that this is, definitely, the career to be in.
However, there's a big 'but'. Unless we attract graduates into the profession now, we won't have anyone to turn the lights back on, and it will take more than high salaries to do this.
Last year, a survey by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) found that 40% of UK companies believed that they would probably not be able to recruit the necessary number of engineers or technicians to meet their needs between now and 2010.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has also warned that the current drop in the number of graduates with core science and technology degrees will inevitably lead to a real skills crisis. UK engineering companies are now looking as far afield as Brazil to recruit qualified personnel, having already exhausted eastern Europe. Clearly, this is not ideal, and the UK should be developing home grown talent.
So why is there such a shortage of engineers in the UK? To get qualified engineering graduates, you need to first attract engineering students at university level. The number of applicants for engineering courses has remained static at around 24,500 for the past decade, decreasing from 11% to just 8% of the total number of university entrants.
The CBI recently highlighted that this decrease in numbers is partly caused by a lack of persuasive careers information encouraging young people to continue studying science at a higher level. As a discipline, engineering simply isn't promoted enough to young people choosing their career path. But what is being done to address this?
A previous shortage of medical professionals was abated by an intense recruiting programme to draw in foreign-born professionals.
Teachers have been recruited through a media-heavy government campaign and substantial financial incentives to enrol on PGCE courses. A similar push is necessary to ensure the future supply of engineering professionals.
To get young people engaged with engineering, they must be given 'hands on' experience of the industry. Many engineering professionals believe that focusing on science alone can put many students off engineering and that a more practical approach, such as design and technology courses, which present work-based scenarios, would be more beneficial.
The courses introduce engineering through analysis of a problem and development of a solution, encouraging a creative approach, which traditional science courses can bypass. The Royal Academy's 'Engineering Education' scheme is an excellent example of practical help.
With the future of UK manufacturing under threat, employers must take the initiative and do more to tempt graduates into the appropriate university courses and, ultimately, their own organisations. Many companies are attracting future personnel through bursaries, scholarships and training schemes, all of which help to nurture skills development and promote the benefits of working in the engineering sector. However, given the shortage of UK supply, coupled with the fact that training engineers is an expensive process, there is a worryingly increasing trend amongst engineering companies to tempt already qualified staff from other organisations.
With such a limited supply of engineers, losing personnel is not an option and companies need to look at what they can offer a qualified engineer to keep them. Good pay, flexible working conditions, exciting projects and a range of skill-application and working environments all ensure that staff feel valued and rewarded in their work. Additionally, offering a programme of continual training and development ensures that engineers can rapidly progress in both their chosen field and the company, supported by employers who benefit from their expertise.
The current employment climate is forcing engineering companies to seriously re-assess the way they recruit and maintain staff. However, actions need to be taken by higher authorities to ensure that there are enough engineers to meet the demand and support the growth of the UK engineering industry.
Higher earnings for chemical engineers
Chemical engineers have achieved an average pay rise of around 9% over the last two years, according to the 2008 IChemE Salary Survey. The study puts the average annual salary for chemical engineers in the UK and Ireland at £47,000.
"There has never been a better time to be a chemical engineer," said IChemE chief executive Dr David Brown in a press statement to launch the survey: "An average chemical engineering graduate salary is now £26,000/year," he added.
These higher earnings reflect growing demand for chemical and process engineers. "The impact of climate change is a matter of international concern and it will be chemical and process engineers who are responsible for finding the solutions," said Brown.
Chemical engineering salaries have risen by over 50% since 1996 and those choosing to work towards chartered status are reaping further rewards, said IChemE. Chartered chemical engineers in their 30s can expect to earn 17% more than a non-chartered professional of the same age, rising to 38% for a chartered professional in their 50s.
The UK is waking up once more to the true worth of engineers. Going back to Victorian times, engineers were seen to be the key group in society who were forging the country out of the dark ages and, as such, were among the most respected and highest paid groups.
Fast forward to the modern day and engineering is perceived by the general public as dull and lacking in prestige, with employers facing a growing skills shortfall. This is reflected in the public's liberal application of the title 'engineer' to a wide range of jobs ranging from mechanics and technicians to degree-qualified professionals.
However, the energy situation is starting to change, and this will have a direct impact on how the engineer is perceived. The security of energy supplies is no longer assured, and rising costs and talk of resources running out further crystallises the issue.
In ten or so year's time, when energy rationing kicks in and the lights start to go out, engineers will once again be in demand and their true worth will emerge. Everyone will then realise that this is, definitely, the career to be in.
However, there's a big 'but'. Unless we attract graduates into the profession now, we won't have anyone to turn the lights back on, and it will take more than high salaries to do this.
Last year, a survey by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) found that 40% of UK companies believed that they would probably not be able to recruit the necessary number of engineers or technicians to meet their needs between now and 2010.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has also warned that the current drop in the number of graduates with core science and technology degrees will inevitably lead to a real skills crisis. UK engineering companies are now looking as far afield as Brazil to recruit qualified personnel, having already exhausted eastern Europe. Clearly, this is not ideal, and the UK should be developing home grown talent.
So why is there such a shortage of engineers in the UK? To get qualified engineering graduates, you need to first attract engineering students at university level. The number of applicants for engineering courses has remained static at around 24,500 for the past decade, decreasing from 11% to just 8% of the total number of university entrants.
The CBI recently highlighted that this decrease in numbers is partly caused by a lack of persuasive careers information encouraging young people to continue studying science at a higher level. As a discipline, engineering simply isn't promoted enough to young people choosing their career path. But what is being done to address this?
A previous shortage of medical professionals was abated by an intense recruiting programme to draw in foreign-born professionals.
Teachers have been recruited through a media-heavy government campaign and substantial financial incentives to enrol on PGCE courses. A similar push is necessary to ensure the future supply of engineering professionals.
To get young people engaged with engineering, they must be given 'hands on' experience of the industry. Many engineering professionals believe that focusing on science alone can put many students off engineering and that a more practical approach, such as design and technology courses, which present work-based scenarios, would be more beneficial.
The courses introduce engineering through analysis of a problem and development of a solution, encouraging a creative approach, which traditional science courses can bypass. The Royal Academy's 'Engineering Education' scheme is an excellent example of practical help.
With the future of UK manufacturing under threat, employers must take the initiative and do more to tempt graduates into the appropriate university courses and, ultimately, their own organisations. Many companies are attracting future personnel through bursaries, scholarships and training schemes, all of which help to nurture skills development and promote the benefits of working in the engineering sector. However, given the shortage of UK supply, coupled with the fact that training engineers is an expensive process, there is a worryingly increasing trend amongst engineering companies to tempt already qualified staff from other organisations.
With such a limited supply of engineers, losing personnel is not an option and companies need to look at what they can offer a qualified engineer to keep them. Good pay, flexible working conditions, exciting projects and a range of skill-application and working environments all ensure that staff feel valued and rewarded in their work. Additionally, offering a programme of continual training and development ensures that engineers can rapidly progress in both their chosen field and the company, supported by employers who benefit from their expertise.
The current employment climate is forcing engineering companies to seriously re-assess the way they recruit and maintain staff. However, actions need to be taken by higher authorities to ensure that there are enough engineers to meet the demand and support the growth of the UK engineering industry.
Higher earnings for chemical engineers
Chemical engineers have achieved an average pay rise of around 9% over the last two years, according to the 2008 IChemE Salary Survey. The study puts the average annual salary for chemical engineers in the UK and Ireland at £47,000.
"There has never been a better time to be a chemical engineer," said IChemE chief executive Dr David Brown in a press statement to launch the survey: "An average chemical engineering graduate salary is now £26,000/year," he added.
These higher earnings reflect growing demand for chemical and process engineers. "The impact of climate change is a matter of international concern and it will be chemical and process engineers who are responsible for finding the solutions," said Brown.
Chemical engineering salaries have risen by over 50% since 1996 and those choosing to work towards chartered status are reaping further rewards, said IChemE. Chartered chemical engineers in their 30s can expect to earn 17% more than a non-chartered professional of the same age, rising to 38% for a chartered professional in their 50s.
