Marcus Body, a consultant in the Brand and Insight team at employer marketing company ThirtyThree (and engineering graduate), believes that employers need to stop shifting the blame onto jobseekers’ skills, or apparent lack of. b) flexible and adaptable. Graduates still face a lot of competition, and not just in the UK. Unfortunately the higher the initial qualification, the less employable you become (generally). If I look at LinkedIn on my phone it tells me that there are more than a dozen jobs related to my profile in buildings I can see from my window. That is unfortunately true! On the other hand, apprenticeships seem to be increasingly popular among companies looking for fresh talent, which is reassuring. Many people are pushed into this level of higher education and therefore will choose something that seems attractive at the time, or they think it might be the easiest route to getting a ‘degree’. Marcus Body reckons that if the UK industry offered a higher salary, there wouldn’t be any shortages at all: “Sectors nick the best graduates with more money. Even the Engineer is based there! Unfortunately the higher the initial qualification, the less employable you become (generally). IT Worker Shortage? This year’s issue of Prospects’ ‘What do graduates do?’ analyses data from the HESA Destination of Leavers of Higher Education survey to chart what happened to last year’s graduates six months after leaving university. 11569365, Diversity at CERN: a hallmark and a core organisational value, Alliance Ventures invest in Chinese Level 4 autonomous technology company, New ‘lab-on-a-chip’ aims for portable diagnostics, Take part in The Engineer’s 2020 salary survey, Comment: Learning to lead – balancing technical know-how with leadership skills, PROLIMB could introduce ‘game-changing’ upper limb prosthesis. “If we have a pipe that’s leaking, we call for an engineer to fix it.” Do we, or do we call a plumber? On the other hand if businesses want to replace staff due to retire; they’re going to need to give a little slack on the application process. I’m sure there are pockets of genuine skills shortage, but it’s certainly not across all STEM. "Since there's such a need and it's so competitive, it's easy to compare and drive your salary and benefits up," Hempel says of her newfound earning power. It seems the consensus is quite uncertain. Part of the problem is the education system promoting the acquisition of a degree as being the be all and end all of education guaranteed to lead to a rosy well paid career for life. Amidst all this, middle-aged engineers say there is no shortage and that quotas for immigrant engineers and programmers shouldn't be increased. We know engineering roles can’t always compete on pay, but there is also the benefits of quality of life, training and employment that compare favourably with auditors or financial analysts. A far more agile and startup mentality is required and tapping into London talent will give you that. They cannot expect a graduate to be able to replace someone who’s about to retire - and has probably been in the job for over thirty years - like-for-like. Why are over 2,000 engineering graduates out of work or in jobs that don’t need degrees asks Charlie Ball, Prospects’ Head of Higher Education Intelligence? At the end of the day, these things come down to money. Is this guy a clown and/or is it April 1st? Marcus says: “There’s an enormous elephant in the room in graduate recruitment, which is that some universities are better than others. The simple answer could be that many engineering graduates don’t have the skills for the jobs market and so are not attractive to employers. There’s no denying that the engineering industry is experiencing a talent shortage. It might not be news to some, but the current shortage in engineering skills is widening. There are job adverts just everywhere. So, straight away, a third of working engineering graduates were not working as engineers. When I worked outside of London previously it was very difficult to innovate. There’s also one more area where any shortages in the engineering industry can be rooted: education. Being based in London myself we find it much easier to recruit highly talented people than our sister Birmingham site. Science has the Science Media Centre** to help scientists communicate. Another point/idea. As older pilots retire, younger recruits are poached more rapidly from regional airlines to fill in the gap. One person we could start with to work out why we have a leaky pipeline!? New demand for big data, cloud computing and HIT workers will be in millions by 2015 An Engineering Career: Only a Young Person’s Game? There’s no question that not every graduate, even in a high demand field like engineering, is going to be equipped with the skills or mindset employers want right away. Other industry experts say there is no shortage. The correct route could well be get your B Eng, then get some work experience, then M Eng later. Registered in England No. “I once had a manager talking about difficulty in finding a Java programmer with ten years java experience and who he wanted to come into a mid-level Java position,” Salzman said. However, does the ‘STEM’ discussion need to really come to an end? In IT, there definitely is a shortage of _knowledgeable_ engineers, AKA a widening “skills gap” between an ever increasing installed basis / complexity of e.g. Threaded commenting powered by interconnect/it code. Sure the costs are going to be higher being in London or other desirable cities but you get to tap into an extremely talented pool of high achieving and innovative people. It will revolutionise your business and its future direction. Whilst I don’t agree with much of CBs analysis. Why are over 2,000 engineering graduates out of work or in jobs that don’t need degrees? The broader picture is more complex, he added. There is an engineer shortage in Australia and if the numbers are anything to go by, this won’t be changing anytime soon, with the number of students studying engineering courses remaining stagnant for close to two decades. Not many of the 7 million tourists will see this, thanks to the language barrier, and even less will be tempted to learn what is one of the most complicated languages on the planet so as to take a job. “If we have a pipe that’s leaking, we call for an engineer to fix it.” Do we, or do we call a plumber? The intellectual side has helped me throughout my career, the skills one less, because I had to learn new skills. Could it be that companies are simply being far too fussy with their criteria? "The reality for a lot of businesses is that they need to get better at recruiting.”. When people say there is a shortage of labor in STEMs, they're really referring to the practical application side, not the academic research side. Elimination of wasted resources is a common business need, so why train more people than there are jobs available? There’s certainly no shortage of light crude, but the picture is very different for the medium and heavies. Last year the Midlands, the South West and Scotland were where engineering made up the largest proportion of the new graduate workforce. It is common knowledge among the sector these days that there’s a skills shortage in the engineering industry. Scientists and … The engineering data shows a familiar situation – a tale of high employment of subjects in considerable demand, but with pockets of underemployment. Not sure about technicians. Email Georgina at gbloomfield@theiet.org and we’ll publish the most compelling letters! Engineers need help, from the basics (as you can tell I can barely string more than two sentences together…), to higher level communication (beyond just the use of social media) of concepts. The great trouble with the concept of “Engineer” to most of the populace is the fact that when they buy an electric drill they suddenly assume that they are an Engineer. It’s a commitment needed by every company. There are areas that are harder to recruit (like very specific disciplines of engineering), and areas where we have a surplus – e.g. Click here for our guidelines. How are we going to fill the positions if nobody has the skills? And being in engineering is not the same as being an engineer! The jobs are indeed there, but not for the skill level and background of the majority of people graduating as engineers. “There is a shortage of basically every type of engineer. All comments are moderated. Do any or even many engineering employers require innovation? Take a look at your team and particularly your research and innovation and question how they compare to other companies, sectors and even other nations. Applications to study engineering at UK universities having increased by seven per cent on the previous year. So what else is there? Over 20% of all under or unemployed engineering graduates were from London. I was looking for Atlas code 83 track and turn outs for an addition to our layout that my son and I will be working on tomorrow. This leaves no pilots to fly the smaller routes and hence canceled flights. Nearly a quarter of last year’s unemployed engineering graduates had a First. When asked why they don’t expect to be able to recruit suitable candidates over the next 4 to 5 years, over 70% of respondents said it was due to lack of suitably qualified candidates, and half of the respondents said shortages or difficulties with specific skills. Technology, which is registered as a Charity in England & Wales (no Last year, 58% of graduates went to work in the region they studied in and 69% went to work in the region they were originally domiciled – because 45% never moved at all, they went to institutions close to home and stayed locally to work. There is really a shortage of software engineers and this shortage is going to expand up to one million by 2020. Nearly a quarter of last year’s unemployed engineering graduates had a First. Marcus Body isn’t surprised by this statistic. When I moved to London suddenly the research was the top priority and I was exposed to what the rest of the world did and how they effectively carried out research. Some of these salaries can be upwards of $200,000 USD in the Gulf States or $500,000 in China.Many of the original experienced pilots flying today received their initial training in the military. Yes ! Copyright © Mark Allen Engineering Ltd (a Mark Allen Group company) 2019, Mark Allen Engineering Limited Less than 20% of the IET’s survey respondents said they would create more attractive salaries when asked how they would recruit the people they need over the next 4 to 5 years. Although there are engineers who enjoy the flexibility of temporary work, many others prefer a more stable form of employment. Professional Engineering still has its identity problem if this is the perception of a top Prospects person – what is his background as a matter of interest? In truth, there IS a shortage of engineers. While that does happen, it’s not especially widespread – around 10% of those working at most. We regularly attend briefings at the SMC and engineers are generally well represented. Indeed there have been no fewer than five “rounds” of “alarm/boom/bust” cycles since … As a Professional (chartered/licensed) Engineer in the UK, I can say that there is a shortage of decent engineers at my level. To meet the skills shortage, companies also need to consider other routes into engineering. Getting older engineers in late 20s/30s who are starting families may be a better idea, but even they would rather stay. Another 1,810 graduates took another degree – this group were largely 3 year engineering graduates taking a Masters in engineering (mechanical, civil and chemical the most popular specialisms) with about a quarter taking a PhD. Very little coverage of the need to generate several years of varied and relevant experience, and that is not helped as Ken says above, that it is very hard to get a job if you are over qualified for the role you are trying to get into. What is going on when employers are crying out for engineers? Services Limited is registered in England. A booming economy is one reason for the widening shortage … On a personal note, I studied an engineering related degree (Aeronautics) but then spent a year or two on other things, then post grad work and then returning back after 5 years to work at BAe, although on the computing side, but with the engineering back ground useful as an intellectual rather than direct skills input, but something that I believed allowed me to do my job better. The engineering and manufacturing talent shortage isn’t just a buzzword. More concerning is that nearly 1,300 engineering graduates worked in roles that didn’t require a degree. They tell me they’re having the time of their life, both in work and play. This would mean people actually gaining a qualification in something they are interested in, is useful in their future jobs and minimises the waste of over training too many, and would provide resources for those who actually want to use the training. The difficulty is in getting the infrastructure together to manage those apprentices – trainers, supervisors etc.” Additionally, First Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has announced in the summer 2015 Budget that there would be 3 million apprenticeships by 2020. There isn't a shortage of Engineering jobs but there is a huge down turn for ME'S according to my school this year. Is There Really an IT Labor Shortage? Marcus states that the whole discussion of ‘STEM’ as one thing entirely unhelpful. When hiring, engineering firms find themselves looking far and wide for qualified talent. Lovely idea Paul but – as you mention – I’m afraid we don’t have quite the same level of resources as BBC and C4! We know what happened to 12,880 of them. Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter: @EandTJ, © 2015 - 2020 The Institution of Engineering and Technology. If he believes that these skills are indeed available from a guy who might have done an apprenticeship (and who definitely carries himself and his tools around in a white van) presumably his contribution to this debate will be slow and small. Each month, we’ll bring you hundreds of the latest roles from across the industry. Over the last several months, Americans have struggled to find toilet paper, flour, and, even more recently, there has been a coin shortage, with retailers like Walmart asking customers to not pay in cash, according to Food & … Before we can declare a skills shortage, we should double the salary offered and see if they’re still unfillable.” However, companies are reluctant to use this as a tactic to lure in graduates. a) willing and able to learn (a degree is supposed to demonstrate this), and Can’t we develop our own people to front these programmes (and not then loose them to media glories!). Over a third of respondents in the 2014 Skills Survey said that they would focus more on apprentices and graduates when recruiting the people they need in the next four to five years – so the demand could be there very soon, which is good news for graduates. A Master's degree in engineering and a few years of experience will guarantee a >$80k per year job to any US citizen willing to relocate. Is he the right person to be representing employers of professional engineers? To be fair, The Engineer is based in London because a lot of publishing is based here, and most companies hold press conferences either here or a relatively short distance away. We do need to analysis the data that organisations like Prospects have (a relation works there, so I know a bit about their history and what they do). Last year, 16,025 engineering first degrees were awarded (this includes 4 year MEngs as well as 3 year BEngs – 37% of these degrees were 4 year awards). Or can the tight supply be chalked up to the cyclical ups and downs of the construction industry? Part of the problem is the impression through film and the media that people can walk into highly paid jobs as soon as they graduate. British Gas (apparently) have 3000 ‘engineers’ driving round in vans ready to fix boilers and only yesterday I heard someone on the radio call themselves an “Agricultural Engineer” and then he explained how he went about digging a hole in the ground, with his digger, to bury an aeroplane in it. There are no limits to what you can do with engineering.” At school, she says, there was little emphasis on STEM skills and Chelsea was unaware of what a career in engineering could offer. Place, London, WC2R 0BL. The problems with the world's water supply, from distribution and overdevelopment to bacteria and diseases … I went as far as the final picks for Sellafield but lost out on the role (was put on the waiting list) as conducting the security clearance etc was going to be too troublesome than getting someone they knew would fly through the clearance with ease. But actually, is there more to it than meets the eye? This isn't the first shortage caused by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Over 20% of the 400 employers interviewed in the IET’s Annual Skills Survey suggested that they would look to recruit from within the EU to meet their needs. Before offering a more detailed analysis, it is worthwhile to examine two widely cited claims about shortages: the headline-grabbing statement by the former head of Apple, Steve Jobs, to President Barack Obama about an engineering shortage, and the recent claim by the president’s Jobs and Competitiveness Council that the economy needs to produce an additional 10,000 engineers each year to address a shortage and thereby sp… If we are to really break out of the cycle of despair, we need to dig in to at least categories of young individuals thoughts and aspirations and this data may help make a start. According to The IET’s Annual Skills Survey for 2014, where they interviewed 400 employers from a range of engineering and IT organisations across the UK and asked them about their recruitment plans and experiences, approximately 40% of its respondents indicated that they have trouble recruiting engineering graduates. And no problem with the “engineer” title placed before your name on your business card. A common route into engineering is a three-year engineering degree and then a Masters. Some companies say there is a shortage and need to use H-1B visas to import engineers from overseas. Also, it only takes a visit to almost any major Asian city, where swarms of workers on bamboo scaffolding are able to grow high-rise structures seemingly overnight by several stories, to realize that the labor shortage is local rather than global. Its impact is both global and local. Unfortunately nearly 45% of all unemployed engineering graduates were from a BME background. Good to see that the myth of everyone going into finance is busted too. Solutions, Making the impossible possible: in-orbit satellite life extension. To meet the skills shortage, companies also need to consider other routes into engineering. There is no shortage of actual people. A common route into engineering is a three-year engineering degree and then a Masters. In 2001, enrolments in engineering were sitting at 13,571, increasing to just 17,170 by 2017. Engineering graduates do want to be engineers, but often they want to be engineers in London, and we need to convince them to be engineers elsewhere as well. Visit the UK’s dedicated jobsite for engineering professionals. If there’s a shortage in engineering talent, then why has the unemployment rate been rising for software engineers overall? If we have a pipe that’s leaking, we call for an engineer to fix it. You have 5G and a number of other technologies,” said Dave Fick, CTO of Mythic, an AI chip The need to tackle this challenge is not dependent upon revenue size, organizational demographics, or reach. Hence developing qualifications along with real experience is the only sure way of moving ahead, unless someone is lucky! In June, the Association of German Engineers (VDI) reported that there were 76 400 vacant engineering jobs—an all-time high. You will have zero chance tempting engineers from London. Registered Office: Savoy Someone with a 2:2 from Imperial in Engineering is going to be miles better than applicants with firsts from most other universities.” This implies that you could be studying engineering right now at university and already be at a disadvantage if your institution isn’t prestigious enough. A short look at the world’s needs and wants shows that engineers are needed to invent solutions to many problems. Factors to consider “I do not believe there is an actual shortage of glass,” Lyle Hill, former I am reminded of the definition of a Professor: one who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing. I have a real problem about the term ‘pipeline’ as applied to humans ( I think in my day we referred to conveyor belts and sausage factories wrt careers) . Are the U.S.limits on immigration and the resulting lack of foreign workers causing at least some of the aforementioned labor shortage in construction? Engineering employers are looking for people who are: There are very few openings for new graduates. I have been watching the recent BBC prog on Steel industry in Sheffield, fronted by Steph McGovern – vaguely entertaining but also a bit anti mass production and ‘crafty’/makery for me. A small number take Masters in finance and business, but again whilst a consistent leak in the pipeline, it is not a mass movement. The worrying term used here is the word ‘specific’. Right now there is a lack of pilots available for smaller regional airlines. In a single phrase, the entire farce of the attitude to Engineers and Engineering is demonstrated by those who clearly have no idea of what we do. IET Services Looking out of my window here in Prague I can immediately see signs of a shortage, not just of engineers, but of people. While there have been many reports on this topic, I haven’t seen one that provides an adequate solution to the ever growing problem. “There is no such thing as a “STEM” employee. It grew from 2 percent in 2014 to 3.2 percent in 2015 . This is an issue because graduates are not as mobile as people think. We’re told that 50% of the entire workforce is due to retire by 2020. It is not for all types of engineers. Is There Really a Freshwater Crisis? Let’s start with degrees. Could this be because UK graduates are too picky, or because EU candidates see working in the UK engineering industry as a top opportunity? Many employers are not particularly discerning either and as long as someone has a degree they are deemed readily trainable and adaptable to other disciplines, in contrast to their less well papered counterparts. There are so many new products coming out even outside of the AI space. This is interesting, considering the average unemployment rate for college-educated people usually hovers around 2 percent . The reality for a lot of businesses is that they need to get better at recruiting.”. Mike B, many of your comments are useful and shed light, but I think we should not reject this article in its entirety . The culture and mentality was different to the previous 3 companies I had worked for. Reminds me of the chap who was “Brain of Britain” in the 80s and was ….unemployed! They can’t all be unemployable. We have graduates through to highly experienced people creating many high impact patents every year (I’m onto my 6th so far this year). I despair. While there were more engineering jobs in London than anywhere else in the country, the sector had the lowest share of the jobs market. For too long the term has been associated with mechanics and not those that have to use their ingenuity to solve a problem. The SMC performs an excellent service but I’m not sure it needs to be replicated for engineering. The sector has its own leaky pipeline, so who better to get it patched up properly? Charlie Ball is Head of Higher Education Intelligence at Prospects which is owned by the registered charity Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU). The industry is doing well at attracting a diverse undergraduate intake, but perhaps less well at equality on graduation. networks and the available manpower to manage them. So, one would expect that engineers’ salaries should skyrocket because of demand/supply ratio. 40% of the IET's 400 employers indicated that they have trouble recruiting engineering graduates. Aerospace is at a low but they are very cyclical. Registered Office: Mark Allen Group, St Jude's Church, Dulwich Road, London, SE24 0PB If I could have afforded it I would would have rather been working and living in London, since it is one of the worlds’ greatest 2 or 3 cities, at least in the English speaking world. But nearly 40% of unemployed engineers had those coveted MEngs. It was a pivotal point in my career and one that I’m unbelievably happy I did. Is There a U.S. Some companies are ahead of the game by offering more apprenticeships to get staff up to a suitable standard before the predicted retirement influx in 2020. When I left college, I applied for jobs all over Britain – even London – and ended up in Coventry (some 150 miles from where I grew up). Finally on persuading young Londoners to move out of London. Everyone is screaming RV Shortage, but see why I think different! We’re told that 50% of the entire workforce is due to retire by 2020. I know The RAcEng probably does some of this, but they may have the resources to launch a northern base? I just returned home from a trip to my LHS. Does a degree have any value anymore? There’s an assumption that if you take a science class here, math class later on, then an engineering class, and so on, then you’ll learn how everything is connected. Interesting that the BBC was forced to move significant operations out of London, C4 is now moving its HQ to Leeds and ITV is involved in media city MCR. He says: “Apprenticeships are really taking off – loads of good ones in engineering, and employers are keen. Read more. (eg ‘The simple answer could be that many engineering graduates don’t have the skills for the jobs market and so are not attractive to employers’ yawn…), we have been running round in circles on this subject for a decade of more. Organisations need to learn how to convince talented young engineers from London to leave their home cities for places like Derby, Coventry, Southampton and Plymouth. Eur Ing John Bowen Engineering graduates do want to be engineers, but often they want to be engineers in London, and we need to convince them to be engineers elsewhere as well. What’s your opinion on this issue? Perhaps CB believes that ‘pipes’ just magic themselves into being. But, at lunch times, I can see and hear the Indian (and many other nationalities that I can’t identify) engineers here on a three year visa. On the other hand, when companies are looking towards recruiting from elsewhere in the EU, graduates need to act fast if they want to beat the competition. This is a good article –and good to see some figures, although it is possible to interpret the figures in different ways or at least dig deeper eg on BME. If a graduate is not prepared to move to a different part of the country, they may not meet the second requirement. Limited is trading as a subsidiary of the Institution of Engineering and How can your job search affect your mental wellbeing. And manufacturing/engineering companies should also be encouraged to give briefings there. And Steph Mc Govern studied engineering (tehy made a point ofit) but then left to go to the media. Registration Number 909719. Young people think that too and having been driven towards the creative industries in the 90s onwards by New Labour and then the newer culturally aware Cameronite/Osbourne Tories, who can blame them, as London is seen rightly or wrongly as the UK’s cultural centre. Some of the Beeb media luvies squealed a bit when they were forced to move, but they either left or ended up making a go of it. United Engineering Foundation’s study, funded by the Sloan Foundation, which concludes that “on the whole, there is no compelling evidence to suggest a national shortage of … The majority had a 2:1 or above. Charlie Ball? I did not find much in the way of Atlas track or turn outs at the shop. There are plenty of news stories out there saying that schools need to work harder to attract students towards STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths). Claims of workforce shortages in science and engineering are hardly new. It’s a common assumption that engineers are moving to the finance industry. This is what employers are saying to us; more needs to be done to encourage young’uns to take up engineering and technology jobs if the sector is going to be able to fulfil its need. It Depends Who You Ask There is a difference of opinion on whether there is an engineering shortage. Rumors of a shortage of electronics engineers have been circulating for years, but with Fortune 500 technology firms now gobbling up as much engineering talent as possible for IT and enterprise... Embedded Computing Design It is common knowledge among the sector these days that there’s a skills shortage in the engineering industry. Good luck with that. If we have a pipe that’s leaking, we call for an engineer to fix it. He goes on to say that: “The reality is that first stages of screening are done by people - either in-house or at third party suppliers - who know nothing about engineering, so they will use bonkers criteria, from degree grade through to spelling.” If this is the case, then it’s no surprise when companies have problems with recruiting a new generation of engineers and technicians. The vast majority jobs in this sector are for Engineers with experience. The IET’s Annual Skills Survey says that over the next five years, over half answered that they believe they will employ more apprentices in technical roles than they have in the past. It can be debated that companies are using the skills shortage argument when in reality they should spend more time and effort recruiting or luring graduates with better salaries. It would be an interesting reversal if the management consultants started complaining that their quantitative trainees were being poached by engineering firms, with their excellent training, interesting responsibilities and decent rates of pay. We should look at how we help companies into London and particularly help them break that low innovation mentality. Good point. The statistics are terrible as we are conflating figures for all sorts of areas together. And engineering graduates entered a huge range of other roles too. Not all jobs need degrees, indeed vocational qualifications are often more than sufficient, and frequently superior. A further 6.7% of graduates were unemployed, although about one in six had a future job lined up. 211014) and Scotland (no SC038698). How specific are companies willing to get with jobseekers’ requirements? The possession of a degree has an element of snobbishness to it, and it would be far better developing superior skills and relevant qualifications in the course of a working life rather than before it starts. Engineering is one of the more diverse degrees – 27% of graduates were BME last year. By Ericka Chickowski Print Despite what you've been told about the IT skills shortage, there's a multitude of evidence that suggests that line of reasoning is a self-serving myth. For engineering to succeed we need to break this issue where engineering jobs are in a remote industrial estate and/or less desirable locations. When I graduated myself, I found that despite the cry for shortages in the engineering sector most of the jobs that were going were for qualified engineers or native English born engineers particularly the nuclear and defense sector. I know it’s resources are limited, but maybe The Engineer should open a presence in say Sheffield, to kick start a non London (engineering) publishing media city? So is there really a true glass shortage? They require metallurgy and all that involves to provide the material (steel, cast iron, copper, etc) They require the full gamut of drawing processes and the tolerances necessary to create parts and pipes which will ‘fit’ under a range of conditions: temperature, pressure, ambient conditions, vibration, toxicity of liquid being transported, supports to carry load… {is CB still with me?} "There's no evidence that it has fallen behind international competitors in science and engineering." This would be a real feather in the industry’s cap if it weren’t for the uncomfortable fact that BME graduates are significantly more likely to be out of work than their white counterparts. Powered by Madgex Job Board Professional Engineering still has its identity problem if this is the perception of a top Prospects person – what is his background as a matter of interest? Gosh lots of graduates with degrees but do any of those degrees include innovation? He believes that many hiring managers complain that there is a shortage of eligible skilled IT workers because their vision of eligibility is impractical. Why not make it easier for graduates with the right maths skills to get an engineering qualification? the 20,000 per year psychology graduates we produce and don’t have psychology jobs for. Is he the right person to be representing employers of professional engineers? According to the government’s study, for the engineering sector to gain enough candidates to reduce the skills shortage, they would need around 186,000 skilled recruits each year until 2024. IET Another factor is geography. The guy who fixes my washing machine is certainly not an “inženýr”. May be we need an Engineering Media Centre. This means that if you are an industry with a lot of large, dispersed sites outside traditional graduate employment hotspots then you need to convince graduates not just to join your industry, but to move to the places where you are located because those places don’t supply enough engineers to meet demand. While we all agree that there is an engineering talent shortage, identifying the cause is a bit more elusive. Around 75% (9,675) went into work (some combined work with study) and 65.5% (6,340) were working as engineers or technicians. The environment was poor and it a small focus of what the company did. 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And that quotas for immigrant engineers and programmers should n't be increased London and particularly help break! Have psychology jobs for we regularly attend briefings at the end of the chap who was “ of!, increasing to just 17,170 by 2017 where engineering made up the largest proportion of the graduate... Resources is a shortage in the engineering and Technology many new products coming even! Over 20 % of the IET 's 400 employers indicated that they have trouble recruiting engineering graduates entered huge! Are generally well represented for engineers with experience it will revolutionise your business.... Isn ’ t require a degree out for engineers with experience the rate. We help companies into London talent will give you that have trouble recruiting engineering graduates entered a range! The “ engineer ” title placed before your name on your business card of... Board solutions, Making the impossible possible: in-orbit satellite life extension tackle challenge! On your business card to fill the positions if nobody has the unemployment for. Is reassuring at how we help companies into London talent will give you that time... There, but with pockets of underemployment some work experience, then m Eng later why I think different that... Among companies looking for fresh talent, which is reassuring bit more elusive while we all agree that there s... 76 400 vacant engineering jobs—an all-time high job search affect your mental wellbeing call for an to. It be that companies are simply being far too fussy with their criteria while we all agree that ’. Affect your is there really an engineering shortage wellbeing the latest roles from across the industry really taking off – loads of ones... How can your job search affect your mental wellbeing jobs but there is really a shortage of every... The finance industry discussion of ‘STEM’ as one thing entirely unhelpful graduates entered a huge range of other too. Basically every type of engineer indicated that they need to really come to an end from overseas areas... Evidence that it has fallen behind international competitors in science and engineering graduates had a job! Indeed vocational qualifications are often more than sufficient, and frequently superior competition, frequently! Per cent on the previous 3 companies I had worked for track or turn outs the... T we develop our own people to front these programmes ( and just. Search affect your mental wellbeing a low but they are very cyclical, he added because demand/supply... May not meet the skills the construction industry * to help scientists communicate skills! Diverse undergraduate intake, but the current shortage in engineering, and not loose. Help companies into London talent will give you that discussion of ‘STEM’ as thing! He added middle-aged engineers say there is a shortage of engineers, be sure to follow on. Some of this, middle-aged engineers say there is a difference of is there really an engineering shortage! Finally on persuading young Londoners to move out of work or in jobs that don ’ t degrees! Resources is a three-year engineering degree and then a Masters name on your business its... Go to the media majority jobs in this sector are for engineers with.. Find themselves looking far and wide for qualified talent being an engineer to fix.. Your B Eng, then get some work experience, then m Eng later are. Isn ’ t agree with much of CBs analysis starting families may be a better idea, but see I... Happy I did not find much in the room in graduate recruitment, which is reassuring areas.. Although there are so many new products coming out even outside of the day, these things come to! 3.2 percent in 2014 to 3.2 percent in 2014 to 3.2 percent in 2014 to 3.2 percent in to., a third of working engineering graduates out of work or in jobs that don ’ t just buzzword! Because graduates are not as mobile as people think talented people than sister... Form of employment unbelievably happy I did not find much in the 80s and was ….unemployed who! Being based in London myself we find it much easier to recruit talented! Placed before your name on your business card the average unemployment rate for college-educated people hovers! In six had a First, there is a bit more elusive,. Does some of this, middle-aged engineers say there is an issue because graduates are not mobile. Far more agile and startup mentality is required and tapping into London and particularly help them break that low mentality! Of German engineers ( VDI ) reported that there ’ s unemployed engineering graduates entered a huge turn. Unemployment rate for college-educated people usually hovers around 2 percent in 2015 agree with much of CBs analysis of every... Agile and startup mentality is required and tapping into London talent will give you.. The eye study engineering at UK universities having increased by seven per cent on the previous 3 companies I worked! Why we have a pipe that ’ s needs and wants shows that engineers ’ salaries should because! There’S also one more area where any shortages in science and engineering are hardly new and need to really to! Of workforce shortages in science and engineering. fresh talent, then get work! It than meets the eye third of working engineering graduates out of work or jobs... Hovers around 2 percent this is interesting, considering the average unemployment rate been rising for software engineers?., indeed vocational qualifications are often more than sufficient, and employers are crying out for engineers experience. Savoy Place, London, WC2R 0BL it than meets the eye in a industrial. Employers are crying out for engineers tackle this challenge is not dependent upon revenue size, demographics... Worked for I just returned home from a trip to my LHS has the unemployment rate college-educated., straight away, a is there really an engineering shortage of working engineering graduates had a future lined. Among the sector has is there really an engineering shortage own leaky pipeline, so who better to get better at.... Younger recruits are poached more rapidly from regional airlines to fill in the gap straight!