UK economic growth at risk from failure to invest in skills across engineering

New EngTechNow report highlights significant “experience gap” in engineering and urges boost in focus on technician career development.

Antony Oliver
10 March 2015

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Failure to invest in career development for technicians across the engineering profession has caused an “experience gap” which is set to hinder the UK’s future economic growth prospects.

According to a new report by EngTechNow, “The Experience Gap: the unspoken skills gap”, published today to mark National Apprenticeship Week, without immediate action to tackle this problem the gap will widen as the post-recession demand for experienced engineers outstrips supply.

"An inability to compete internationally could cause the engineering sector to decline, which would deter even more people from entering it in the first place.” EngTechNow report "The Experience Gap"

“Unless something is done about the experience gap now, it has the potential to get far worse,” warns the report. “An inability to compete internationally could cause the engineering sector to decline, which would deter even more people from entering it in the first place.”

It is a point emphasised by EngTechNow chief executive Blane Judd, who highlighted the fact that, with engineering underpinning larges parts of the UK’s productivity, failure to address this gap now will have major consequences for the nation’s international competitiveness.

“We face a technician shortage of 450,000 by 2020,” he said. “Fortunately solutions are emerging from forward-thinking infrastructure projects, employers and trade unions, which, if adopted more widely, will see the skills and experience gap overcome.”

(See viewpoint by Blane Judd, chief executive EngTechNow)

The report highlights a new five point plan to turn around the situation covering:

1. Client bodies need to manage supply chain skills risks
2. Aim for greater collaboration across industry
3. Emphasis must be put on the quality of apprenticeships, not just quantity
4. Aim for greater professionalisation of engineering roles
5. There should be direct collaboration between major projects and schools/colleges

So far 13 industry representatives have signed a charter committing to take action - two infrastructure projects, nine engineering employers, and two trade unions. Each has committed to practical steps to ensure their technicians and apprentices are supported to achieve professional status. 

“An inability to compete internationally could cause the engineering sector to decline, which would deter even more people from entering it in the first place.” EngTechNow report "The Experience Gap"

Signatories include: Amey, Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Crossrail, Doosan Babcock, E.ON, Jaguar Land Rover, NG Bailey, Prospect, QinetiQ, Royal Mail, Thames Tideway, and TSSA.

The consequences of inaction, says the report, are wide-ranging and serious, severely affecting UK businesses’ ability to grow and prompting firms to turn down lucrative projects as they simply will not have the manpower to deliver. 

“In engineering, the problem may best be described as an experience gap,” says the report. “There is great demand for engineers with five to ten years’ experience in the sector, but not enough can be supplied.”

While the report highlights the critical problems it also points to examples of clients playing an active part in strengthening skills through their supply chains, companies professionalising their technicians to improve career flexibility, recruitment and retention, and collaborations to improve routes into engineering.

Judd added: “With a major skills and experience gap looming, it is excellent for industry as a whole that these forward-thinking stakeholders in the engineering sector have made a commitment to drive a culture change in the professional status of technicians.”

He urged complanues to invest in apprentices but also to ensure that career development programmes were created to not only achieve the highest industry standards but also to set individuals up for great professional careers. 

“Engineering technicians sit at the heart of engineering delivery. All of us - government industry and society - must take practical steps to raise the career opportunities and status of technicians and apprentices." Nick Baveystock, ICE director general.

“That is why it is great to see forward-thinking companies taking action now,” he said. “By ensuring apprenticeships are externally verified and meet the UK-SPEC for professional registration, parents and young people know these are apprenticeships that offer a great future in engineering.” 

The EngTechNow initiative is backed by the UK’s leading engineering institutions and help to ensure that the UK has a stream of engineering technicians being developed to a level that is recognised and respected around the world.

Nick Baveystock, director general of the Institution of Civil Engineers said: “Engineering technicians sit at the heart of engineering delivery. All of us - government industry and society - must take practical steps to raise the career opportunities and status of technicians and apprentices. I am delighted to see so many leading UK employers commit to driving this forward, and I encourage others to get involved and embed this qualification into their programmes.”  

“To ensure UK companies can compete on an international level, we need to work hard to encourage more people to join the engineering profession." Stephen Tetlow, chief executive, Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Nigel Fine, chief executive of the Institution of Engineering and Technology added: “Ensuring a pipeline of future talent depends on stronger collaboration between employers and the educational systems. We need to bridge the gap between expectations and achievement, in addition to up-skilling the existing workforce to meet demand.”

Stephen Tetlow MBE, chief executive of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: “To ensure UK companies can compete on an international level, we need to work hard to encourage more people to join the engineering profession and to ensure that they have the highest professional skills and abilities.”

The report is also supported by the Technician Apprenticeship Consortium, set up to help engineering consultancy businesses to embrace the opportunity of taking on Apprentices.

Sheila Hoile, TACE project manager underlined the challenge facing the industry and praised early adopting clients and businesses to rising to the challenge.

“If it wasn’t for the impetus of their client, and the bravery of the first companies to step forward and reassure others it could be done, this [the Technician Apprenticeship Consortium] wouldn’t have happened,” she said. “That would mean hundreds of technicians simply not joining the consultant engineering industry, and we need that talent as the infrastructure sector grows.” 

Blane Judd explains the challenge: “Establishing a more sustainable culture of professional development for technicians”

To read an interview with TAC project manager Sheila Hoile visit the EngTechNow website here 

To read an interview with Amey’s professional excellence director Richard Butterfield, visit the EngTechNow website here 

The Experience Gap: The unspoken skills gap – five point plan:

1. Client bodies need to manage supply chain skills risks

A well-trained supply chain can be just as important as having experienced engineers in your own business. Investing in the training of supplier companies will help your own in the future.

2. Aim for greater collaboration across industry

It is always worth remembering that this is an industry-wide problem. Collaborating with other organisations will help your business by strengthening the engineering sector overall.

3. Emphasis must be put on the quality of apprenticeships, not just quantity

While it is definitely important to entice more people into the industry with apprenticeships, engineering overall will not benefit if those people leave after a short time due to being ill-prepared for a long-term career. Quality should matter just as much as quantity. 

4. Aim for greater professionalisation of engineering roles

Professional qualifications and registrations, like EngTech, give engineers something to work towards and make the profession more attractive, benefiting the entire industry. 

5. There should be direct collaboration between major projects and schools/colleges

To ensure new entrants into engineering are well-prepared for the demands of the industry, major projects should