‘Don’t remove engineering GCSE courses’, pleads IET
1 min read
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has warned that the Government proposal to remove GCSE engineering could make the skills crisis an even bigger cause of concern for UK employers.
The IET has already highlighted this to Ofqual following its proposals to streamline the number of GCSE courses in manufacturing, electronics and engineering as a result of low numbers of students studying the subjects.
Analysis of the 2014 GCSE results showed a 73% increase (5,027 students in 2014 compared to 2,897 in 2013) in students successfully studying GCSE engineering.
Paul Davies, IET head of policy, said: "It is imperative that GCSE engineering be reformed rather than removed. One of the reasons given for removing this subject is due to the low student numbers. However, the results published today show a large increase.
"GCSE engineering is widely recognised as a significant route to providing the crucial technical skills that young people need to succeed in industry. According to the IET Skills Survey, 44% of engineering, IT and technical recruits do not meet the employer's expected levels of skills.
"It is important to engage students with the discipline of engineering as early as possible. These subjects build on key skills applicable to many areas and develop a systems-thinking approach in addition to allowing for the application of mathematics."
He said the IET believed rigorous, highly valued qualifications should exist in engineering and technology areas and these would be "vital to the nation's future and that all education policy makers should seek to maximise the take up of these qualifications".
