Calls for school engineering curriculum to fight skills shortfall
13 Dec 2022
A new report endorsed by more 150 engineering leaders and celebrities, led by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), called on Government to help tackle the UK’s engineering skills shortage by embedding engineering into the current curriculum.
The IET’s Engineering Kids’ Futures report contains a series of recommendations to the UK government to embed engineering and technology within primary and secondary learning.
Authors said the estimated shortfall of over 173,000 workers in the STEM sector meant an average of 10 unfilled roles per UK business that costs the economy an annual £1.5 billion. Nearly half of engineering respondent said they were experiencing recruitment difficulties.
The targets include the English Schools National Curriculum at primary and secondary levels , the Design & Technology Curriculum, English Baccalaureate (EBacc) and Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework. It also demands UK Government funded ITT bursaries and scholarships in engineering be reviewed to increase their value and availability.
IET head of education, safeguarding and education policy David Lakin said: “As we know, subjects like science and maths are eagerly taught in schools, but connecting them to engineering – the link between these subjects, their purpose and application to the world in which we live – is not currently being made clear.
“We need to ensure there are clearer learning outcomes for these subjects. Put simply, we need to embed engineering into the mainstream curriculum. One way we can do this is by reviewing the current D&T curriculum, which is a key engineering and technology gateway subject, and give it more importance in the EBacc suite of subjects.”
Teacher training was also a key factor, he continued, adding that an engineering package aligned with the Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework was vital to enhance teacher understanding and confidence around talking about engineering in the classroom.
“Our aim to significantly increase the number of quality engineers and technicians entering the workforce can only be achieved by letting young people see the opportunities that a career in the engineering sector presents.”
The IET said its new pol of more than 1,000 parents of school age children showed nearly half of parents surveyed believe engineering and technology should be a compulsory core subject at GCSE, while still more thought there was too much academic emphasis on science, maths and English.
And another key engineering body, EngineeringUK, has published a series of new research briefings exploring the perceptions, understanding, and knowledge of STEM and engineering among young people, their parents and secondary school teachers.
Based on the 2021 survey Harnessing the talent pool, it revealed young people aged11-14 years had the greatest interest in engineering but the least knowledge. It also showed less awareness among girls and those from less advantaged backgrounds about career choices in the sector.
Claudia Mollidor, Head of Research and Evaluation, at EngineeringUK said: “ “These briefings highlight key gaps in knowledge and desirability of engineering careers among certain underrepresented groups. This provides us, and the sector, with a clear direction for where to focus our outreach efforts, if we are to successfully achieve a more diverse workforce."
