IMechE makes new proposals to close engineering skills gap
As part of its mission to help close the engineering skills gap, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is calling on schools and colleges to be measured on the education, training and employment destinations of their leavers, and not just on their academic achievements.
"It is clear that much more needs to be done by government, industry and education providers to attract and train more UK engineers," said Peter Finegold, head of education at the IMechE. "A key problem is that many young prospective engineers are poorly informed by schools and colleges about potential careers in engineering.
"Measuring a schools' success on the progress made by students once they've left school would be a key way of encouraging better careers advice.
The IMechE has made three key recommendations to help attract more young people into industry. The first calls on the government to make careers related learning a core feature of mainstream education – as is the case in other countries such as Germany.
The second focuses on employer-education partnerships, while the third relates to informal learning initiatives.
"It is imperative that government works to make it more attractive for industry, especially smaller companies, to develop meaningful relationships with schools and colleges," Finegold continued. "The UK should be inspired by work in Germany which sees local employers provide rich opportunities for work experience, and where students are taught about the country's labour market."
