Articles
Engineeers Struggle to make Science Sexy
Author: Widget Finn
Source: Daily Telegraph
Publication Date: 1st September 2005
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Why is it that in the dawning of the age of technology newly qualified engineers, the people whose skills will be critical to the UK's economy in the 21st century, are choosing to work for organisations such as Barclays, law firm Clifford Chance or Tesco? The main reasons appear to be money, status and an uninspiring image.
Less than half the new graduates with an engineering degree take up a career as engineers according to HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency), which revealed its latest annual survey last week.
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10 per cent of the new intake of chartered engineers in 2004 were females |
For those who graduated in 2004, as in preceding years, only 41 per cent remained in the discipline, while 25 per cent were lured into the finance and business sector and 10 per cent made the next most popular career move into the wholesale and retail trade.
A new graduate, given the option of an engineer's starting salary of £25,000 or the £50,000 offered by an investment bank may be forgiven for taking the money and running - all the way to the bank. The fact that more engineers than accountants are CEOs of FTSE 100 companies seems to have little relevance when you're at the start of your career.
And doesn't it sound more impressive at a party to say you're an investment banker than an engineer?
In this country "engineer" has connotations of greasy hands and bags of tools, when the man (and it's almost always a man) who mends your washing machine or your car calls himself an engineer. In Germany all professional engineers have the title Doctor, and in some European countries the term is protected by law.
If engineering has a poor image, it also has a limited one. At school and university the student is often unaware of the huge potential of career options embraced by the discipline, from aerospace to nano-technology.
Dr John Morton, chief executive of The Engineering and Technology Board (etb), argues that it is the skill base required for this broad challenge that makes engineering graduates attractive to a range of other professions.
He says: "From conceptualisation to realisation, engineers employ problem solving, lateral thinking, numeracy, technical knowledge and project management skills on a daily basis. There is considerable demand in the marketplace for their capabilities, and this inevitably has an impact on their first destination career choice. In some cases they will simply have offers they can't refuse."
But he points out that only 30 per cent of business students and 22 per cent of agriculture students enter their sectors, "so by comparison engineering is faring well".
The etb promotes the contribution of science, engineering and technology to the UK's economy, and encourages the next generation to choose engineering as a career. A key part of its role is to provide accreditation for engineers based on proven knowledge, competence and commitment to professional standards.
Dr Morton claims that the benefits of registration include the assurance for employers that their staff have a recognised level of ability. "Also, in some cases evidence of formal registered chartered or incorporated engineering status is necessary for the award of contracts. For the individual it provides a competitive edge when applying for a job."
There are an estimated 2m engineers in the UK workforce, of which around 250,000 are registered with the etb. While a stingy 2 per cent of those are women, 10 per cent of the new intake of chartered engineers in 2004 were females.
There are several initiatives aimed at increasing this figure, including Women into Science Engineering, but as long as many areas of engineering retain a macho culture it will be difficult to persuade women to consider it as an attractive career.
Keith Read, chair of the committee of executives of engineering institutions, agrees that the image of engineering is hardly inspiring.
He says "We need to stimulate people's imaginations to choose it as an exciting option. The problem is that engineering just isn't sexy."
He believes that peer pressure is the best way to make engineering the new rock 'n' roll. "Students, teachers and parents should be targeted through initiatives which will provide stimulating teaching material on engineering as a career. Further along the line we should encourage chartered status by persuading companies that it is in their interest to employ chartered engineers to reassure the regulators, and also to help them gain ISO status."
Lord Sainsbury, the science minister, recently admitted that the Government had not done enough to sell engineering as a rewarding career.
He said: "We are doing a lot to try and turn around the engineering and technology figures because we think there's enormous opportunity in this field," he said. "We have a specific problem in engineering and technology as young people do not see engineering as exciting or as part of the modern knowledge-based economy. This view is clearly wrong but we need to work hard to change that."
Keith Read says the Government supports a lot of initiatives but they are unco-ordinated and he would like to see the well-meaning effort rationalised. Among the projects The Learning Grid, funded by the DTI and Primary Engineer and backed by BAe Systems, visits primary schools round the country to enthuse children about engineering.
There are also a series of local and regional initiatives: for example in Norfolk, where there is a significant cluster of engineering businesses including electronic and automotive engineering, Norfolk county council and its strategic partner Shaping the Future are bringing together employers and educators.
The Norfolk-based Pro-Train goes into schools and organises battling robots and building challenges for children, while Impact Theatre Group tours local secondary schools with its lively productions about the world of engineering.
There is a growing realisation that even the youngest children can be excited by engineering, and this is the way to ensure the UK's future industrial competitiveness. Dr Morton says "The key challenges of the 21st century including energy, transport and health care, will be solved by engineering innovation."
Added to the database on 1st September 2005
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http://money.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2005/09/01/cceng01.xml
Keywords: engineering, graduates, profession, engineers, salaries
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