1. What incentives would encourage employers to be more involved in providing careers information, advice and guidance both before, and during university?
Engineers, through working with Professional Engineering Institutions and the Royal Academy of Engineering, have been engaged with schools for many years. This was partly driven by the decline in numbers of students entering universities to study engineering which became critical to employers in the 90s. The challenges have been the lack of understanding amongst school teachers of the career opportunities in engineering, the plethora of information that schools have to deal with making it difficult to prioritise the relevant information and the lack of time within the school timetable to focus on skills for engineers.
Engineering employers and employees continue to be actively engaged with schools and universities giving guidance and acting as role models. This engagement is coordinated by employers and a number of engineering bodies including the Sector Skills Councils. Royal Academy of Engineering and the Professional Institutions. The pressure of work and the shortage of engineers has made it increasingly difficult to devote the time needed.
Clearly it is in the employers’ interest and therefore in the clients’ interest to encourage young people to enter the exciting and essential world of engineering. Greater public recognition of the role that professional engineers play in society and ensuring that the link between higher level skills and professional engineering is clearly understood by the public would remove a barrier to engagement and therefore incentivise employers.
2a. Given that subject choice at 14 and GCSE and A level attainment are critical factors, is there a case for specific incentives to prospective students to take Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects?
The recognition that the number of students following STEM subjects has to increase is both welcome and essential if universities are to produce enough engineering graduates who will enter the exciting work of the professional engineer.
STEM subjects are seen as ‘hard’ which is a deterrent. Changes in the National Curriculum have meant universities have had to invest in developing students knowledge and understanding of the underlying science and engineering principles in the first two years in university leading to a perception that engineering programmes are ‘hard’ and an extension of a school education.
The incentives must focus on the excitement and challenges of the world of engineering making greater use of those engineers who passionately believe in their work to promote engineering. There needs to be a greater awareness of the role of engineering in society so that students understand and appreciate the importance of engineering in wealth creation and in creating a quality of place that inspires people to want to live and work in that place.
2b. How could any incentives avoid simply reinforcing the decisions of people who would have chosen STEM subjects anyway?
It is important to stress the role of STEM subjects in society. Raising the profile of STEM careers, ensuing that role models with STEM backgrounds are present within Government and the media, and that Government and the media are properly tutored in the role of STEM subjects in society will help ensure that all students are beneficiary of the opportunities ahead.
2c. More generally, is there a case for providing incentives to universities or employers to encourage more young people to study STEM and pursue careers in it?
A recent report by EPC and ETB showed that engineering departments are underfunded. This has had an impact on engineering education. The first action is to ensure that engineering departments in universities are properly funded. EPC proposes that £110m pa additional funding would ensure that students experience a modern education.
The second action is to invest in the engineering facilities at universities to ensure that students are trained in the use state of the art facilities as found in industry. This has the further advantage that it will enthuse students looking to follow a STEM career. Knowing that they will be using state of the art facilities and be prepared for the world of work is the incentive.
The third action is to develop the degree programmes so that they produce the 21st century engineer that the UK needs. EPC are working with representatives of the Sector Skills Councils, the Professional Institutions, DIUS, BERR, and the RAEng to ensure that we are working towards a common goal to meet the recommendations of the Leitch Report and the Sector Skills Agreements and deal with the global challenges of climate change, lifeline systems. EPC estimate that this will require a further £240m pa dedicated to engineering education.
Hence the incentive is to make engineering departments up to date, relevant and exciting places to study. Thus students visiting the departments will be enthused by the opportunity to study in world class departments. The aim is to give students the experience of working with state of the art technology they would expect in industry that inspires them to want to use their world class skills to deal with the global challenges faced by society.
3. What support and incentives would help universities offer access to the workplace for all their students?
Engineering students have the opportunity to take up vacation placements, sandwich placements, and work based modules during their degree programme. The Professional Institutions are working with EC(UK) to recognise these schemes and allow them to contribute to the educational base for a professional engineer. Universities should be encouraged to give credit for this form of education and recognise them as part of the degree. QAA are developing guidelines so that universities can embrace this concept.
Once the systems are in place to give credit for this type of work based education then it will be necessary for increased engagement with employers. This is taking place but employers need to invest in training their staff in modes of teaching, learning and assessment. Universities need to be more proactive in supporting employers in this training.
4. How can we help employers better articulate their needs for broad based employability skills?
While there is an argument that employers wish to see graduates with broad based employability skills there is evidence (ETB) that engineering employers are concerned with the lack of technical skills. Their argument is that employability skills can be learnt in the workplace. Engineering technical skills are founded on a good understanding of the underlying scientific and mathematical principles. Therefore there is a need to ensure that technical skills are developed to an appropriate level and those technical skills are developed in the educational system.
5. What more can we do to provide more graduates with the language skills and cultural awareness to thrive in a global marketplace?
Engineering programmes used to contain a compulsory language course. This was generally unsatisfactory because of the limited time devoted to learning the language. It is possible to study abroad on many programmes but note that increasingly European universities are offering programmes in English. Achieving the necessary skills in language and cultural awareness requires an integrated approach with opportunity to be immersed in an overseas institution for a significant period of time. Such courses do exist in engineering though the take up is small.
Engineering education in the UK is seen as world leading and therefore attracts the highest quality UK, European and overseas students thus ensuring a supply of graduates with cutting edge world class skills. There is a need for research informed teaching to inspire those students and to ensure that engineering graduates are familiar with internationally leading developments in industry. This mix of UK, European and overseas students following engineering programmes raises cultural awareness amongst the students. Therefore there is a need to invest in the success of engineering departments so that they continue to maintain their position as world leaders.
6a. What further incentives are needed to stimulate and meet employer demand for high level skills?
Professional Engineering Institutions are developing pathways to enable employees develop their higher level skills as they progress through their career. This includes processes to give credit for work based education so that employees can use this experience towards their accredited degree and prepare to become either a Chartered Engineer or Incorporated Engineer. This has enabled major employers to set up training schemes that focus on professional development and further learning.
The challenge is to extend this to SMEs. Various models are being considered including a brokerage system that allows employees from several SMEs to take part in managed programmes of learning.
Engineering, management and business skills have been embedded in engineering programmes in a variety of ways creating a diversity of education which reflects industry’s needs. However, the advances in science and technology means that employers are now concerned that the level of technical skills is insufficient. There is a need to develop advanced programmes in technical skills; that is 2nd cycle degrees under the Bologna convention. These programmes exist but their existence is under threat because of lack of core funding. A key feature of these programmes is that they are research led ensuring that the higher level skills are research led. EPSRC used to fund these types of programmes but the development of Masters Training Packages, Collaborative Training Accounts and Knowledge Transfer Accounts has moved the focus from high level technical skills to business skill development and knowledge transfer. There is a need to fund programmes in higher level technical skills which meet the employers’ needs.
6b. How can we best build on the contributions of further education colleges and providers and their links (in particular) to networks of small and medium sized enterprises?
7a. How can we best work with businesses and employers, Trade Unions and employees to encourage demand for high level skills?
7b. How can we encourage rapid implementation of an effective framework for credit accumulation and transfer?
The internationally recognised framework for the development of Chartered and Incorporated Engineers is founded on the strength of the UK Further Education and Higher Education system working closely with employers. This has generated a diverse range of employer/academic engagement. This engagement brings reality into the classroom thus enthusing the learner. The Professional Institutions are actively developing schemes to give credit for this activity so that it counts towards the accredited qualification. Employers are now actively developing innovative ways of using this opportunity to give credit for education in the work place. The take up of employers is increasing because of the extensive links between the Professional Institutions, academics and industry. This should be encouraged and supported.
8. Do we have the right incentives to encourage higher education providers to be more responsive to business and employer demand?
The Engineering Professors Council supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering have created a Working Group which brings together those interested in engineering education to develop a vision for the future and means of implementing that vision. The Group comprises representatives from the Professional Institutions, Sector Skills Councils, Universities, EC(UK), RAEng, DIUS and BERR. The intention of this Group is to take a strategic overview of the various developments taking place with the aim of engaging universities in developing programmes that meet the needs of the various bodies involved.
9. What should be the key features of a model for regional and sectoral bodies to play a much greater role in solving local skills problems and linking higher education institutions and businesses?
10. How can we encourage Regional Development Agencies and Sector Skills Councils to work together to solve local and sectoral skills needs?
11a. What further incentives are needed in universities – e.g. through internal appraisals, promotion processes – to increase demand from academic staff for business secondments?
The publicly stated criteria on which academics are assessed are research, teaching, outreach and administration. Research is perceived to be the most important especially given the emphasis a university places on the output of the Research Assessment Exercise. This is appropriate because one of the key roles universities have in society is to generate knowledge and that knowledge generation is through research. The universities also have a role to transfer the knowledge generated. This can be through teaching, publications or knowledge transfer.
The current Research Assessment Exercise and the proposed Research Excellence Framework use a number of metrics to assess the quality and impact of the research which includes the total funding and the impact that published output has through citation indices. It does not take into account the significant contribution that the knowledge generated makes to industry through collaborative work and use of published and unpublished information. It further does not recognise the fact that engineering research is a major contributor to the development of standards.
An important incentive that would have a major impact on research activity is to recognise these links between industry and academia thus ensuring that the true potential of research is recognised. This would encourage academic business links.
11b. And how can we encourage movement in the other direction so that business people are increasingly contributing directly to course content, design and teaching?
Professional Institutions encourage the use of Industrial Advisory Panels within engineering departments to ensure that industry contributes to the strategic direction of the programmes. Engineering departments increasingly rely on industry to contribute to the programmes in a variety of ways to ensure that the programmes are practically relevant. This contribution should be recognised formally to give credit to industry for their contributions which benefit students enormously
12. How can we do more to increase the level of STEM skills in the existing workforce?
Increased core funding for advance part time and full time programmes that focus on advanced technical skills that meet the employers’ needs.
Other
Greater public recognition of the role that professional engineers play in society and ensuring that the link between higher level skills and professional engineering is clearly understood by the public would remove a barrier to engagement and therefore incentivise employers.
There needs to be a greater awareness of the role of engineering in society so that students understand and appreciate the importance of engineering in wealth creation and in creating a quality of place that inspires people to want to live and work in that place.
The aim is to give students the experience of working with state of the art technology they would expect in industry that inspires them to want to use their world class skills developed at university to deal with the global challenges faced by society.
There is a need to invest in the success of engineering departments so that they continue to maintain their position as world leaders and attract the best students from the UK, Europe and overseas.
There is a need to develop and fund advanced programmes in technical skills; that is 2nd cycle degrees under the Bologna convention, for up skilling the engineering profession and ensuring that graduates are prepared for the challenges ahead.
The development of accreditation of work based learning and schemes being proposed by employers in consultation with universities and Professional Institutions should be supported.
An important incentive that would have a major impact on research activity within universities is to ensure that the implementation of the output in industry is recognised thus strengthening the links between industry and academia.
Increased funding for advance part time and full time programmes that focus on advanced technical skills that meet the employers’ needs.