Engineers in short supply says Royal Academy
1 min read
A new report from the Royal Academy of Engineering has collected evidence for the frequently made claim that the UK does not have enough engineers.
The report, Jobs and growth: the importance of engineering skills to the UK economy, draws on a number of sources to conclude that the UK does not produce enough engineers. It also brings together evidence on the labour market returns from science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM) qualifications as well as examining the link between STEM education, training and qualifications and economic growth.
Around 1.25 million science, engineering and technology professionals and technicians are needed by 2020, including a high proportion of engineers, to support the UK's economic recovery, says the Academy.
The analysis shows that the combined replacement and expansion demand for science, engineering and technology (SET) occupations will be 830,000 SET professionals and 450,000 SET technicians, "but this is merely to maintain the industry on an even keel rather than to support strong growth".
The minimum number of STEM graduates required to maintain the status quo is 100,000 a year with a further 60,000 individuals with Level 3+ (broadly equivalent to A-Level) STEM qualifications for the period 2012-2020. However, only 90,000 STEM students currently graduate annually and, as around a quarter of engineering students choose non-SET occupations, there is already a shortfall.
Academy president Sir John Parker said the number of STEM graduates needed to be increased over the next 10 years in support of rebalancing the UK economy
