Tomorrow’s engineers

EngineeringUK aims to increase the number and diversity of young people choosing academic and vocational pathways into engineering. It does this by working with young people as well as professional engineering institutions and engineering employers to help young people understand what engineering is, how to get into it and how to access educational and training opportunities on the way.

The case for inspiring more young people about engineering (including young people from a more diverse background) is a compelling one. The emergence of new industries and technologies coupled with the government’s net zero ambitions, investment in infrastructure, industrial strategy and R&D commitment are adding to already signifi cant demand for engineering skills. All of this amid the impact of Brexit and new immigration rules.

Moreover, it’s important to increase the diversity of the engineering workforce to improve innovation, creativity, productivity, resilience and market insight by ensuring that all young people have equal opportunity, particularly in pathways that lead to fulfi lling and rewarding careers in engineering.

Quality science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) engagement plays a vital role in making sure young people are informed about engineering careers (in a way that levels up the uneven distribution of knowledge derived from their parents and teachers).

Research shows that students who participated in a STEM careers activity in the preceding 12 months were 3.4 times more likely to consider a career in engineering. The impact of the pandemic on young people’s educational and career aspirations makes this activity more important than ever.

Research shows that STEM initiatives such as the Big Bang (right) and Robotics Challenge (below) boost interest in engineering careers threefold

EngineeringUK worked throughout 2020 to support engagement with a diverse range of younger people. This included: restructuring the Engineering UK State of Engineering 2020 report in response to the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, as well as changes from the pandemic publishing Engineering UK 2020 Educational Pathways – a comprehensive picture of the trends in STEM educational participation

and att ainment across academic and technical pathways into engineering up to March 2020 launching Engineering Insights, an interactive web resource that provides regularly updated research and data on issues that are important to the engineering sector, including the economic impact of Covid-19 on UK engineering enterprise launching the Tomorrow’s Engineers online hub of resources holding the Big Bang Competition fi nals and a Big Bang Digital 2020 Science,

Engineering & Covid-19 event online.

The latt er showcased the vital role of

engineers in tackling the pandemic.

It att racted 28,000 individual viewers on the day and more than 18,000 views since then promoting the annual Robotics

Challenge, which helps teams of young people to develop their robotics and coding skills. Most of the academic year’s work was completed by spring 2020, with the fi nal competition delivered online. This prompted a mix of online and in-school delivery for 2021 developing a new digital platform,

Neon, by working closely with the

Royal Academy of Engineering and professional engineering institutions, and with much teacher input on plans and piloting. The free resource makes it simpler for teachers to fi nd engineering activities that meet their needs. Since its launch in September 2020, there have been more than 30,000 users managing the delivery of the

Tomorrow’s Engineers Code. Co-created by more than 100 organisations, the code is a commitment to work towards common goals to increase the diversity and number of young people entering engineering careers.

Published in January 2020, it provided a snapshot of knowledge and perceptions of engineering before the pandemic, with analysis clearly showing that young people who know more about what engineers do are more likely to perceive the profession positively and to consider a career in the industry.

bit.ly/YouthAndCovid revealed the impact of Covid-19 on the educational and career aspirations of young people.

bit.ly/STEMCareersProvision described young people’s experiences and perspectives of careers provision and engineering: their desire for more opportunities to engage with employers, more careers information, advice and guidance, and more information on relevant exams, qualifi cations and pathways into engineering.

Energy Quest workshops tomorrowsengineers.org.uk for collaboration, exploring clean energy, with information and guidance sourced from across young people building and the engineering community to help make the testing model electric cars, most of engagement activity. had to pause during 2020. However, the series is being Tomorrow’s Engineers Code redeveloped on an ongoing code.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk basis, with an emphasis on testing the impact of diff erent Neon neonfutures.org.uk content and delivery on diff erent groups of young Big Bang Digital 2020 Science, Engineering people, particularly those who & Covid-19 online event digitalbigbang.co.uk are under-represented in engineering for 2021.

At the same time, 90,000 young activities on Neon (it’s free), or why not people, teachers, parents and carers who sign up to the Tomorrow’s Engineers Code registered for the Big Bang UK Young and make four pledges to work together to Scientists & Engineers Fair 2020, which improve the quality, inclusivity, targeting inspires young people about STEM and reach of your organisation’s activities? careers, were disappointed when the If you are an individual engineer, please event was cancelled. EngineeringUK is consider sharing inspiring career stories currently working with other organisations on Neon or volunteering for this year’s to run the event online this year and is Big Bang programme. piloting a new approach to delivering Engineering is a varied, stimulating and the Big Bang programme at schools. valuable career, and we need to work harder than ever to ensure that it is accessible for Get involved this generation of young people. At a time If you’re part of an organisation, including of real uncertainty about their futures, engineering employers, that designs, engineering can give young people the delivers or funds STEM and engineering opportunity to have a career with enormous inspiration activities, please consider societal value and one that is critical to promoting your school engagement respond to global challenges.