The Pre-Employment Conundrum

by BVAA Director Rob Bartlett

A ‘greying’ workforce, so typical in Engineering these days, ultimately needs replacing. But where do you find the bright new engineers, who can quickly and seamlessly pick up the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to ensure continuity, or indeed improve your business?

As many engineering employers will testify, this is an incredibly challenging task, not only because there is stiff competition for the small talent pool available, but also because students that could seek a career in engineering are seduced away to other allegedly ‘sexier’ subjects, often irrespective of the employment opportunities therein once they graduate. For example recent data indicates that 20% of recent graduates remain unemployed, and 40% of those who are employed are engaged in low-skill occupations, often unrelated to their qualification.

So we have an industry in desperate need of talent, and a talent pool focusing essentially on the wrong subjects. However, despite there being a plethora of Engineering bodies in the UK, there appears to be no one-stop shop when it comes to seeking assistance in the promotion of Engineering as a career.

In the pre-employment stage, when promotion of engineering to schools and colleges would, you might expect, be already extremely well organised, it turns out that formal advice is spread across a wide range of bodies and organisations. This inevitably leads to gaps in coverage, and the occasional overlap. So how does an engineering employer solve this conundrum?

BVAA regularly receives enquiries from our members on this topic, and we have to signpost members to organisations that may be of interest to them.

A group of Engineering Employers Federation (EEF) members for example have recently sponsored the work of Primary Engineer. It is a non-for-profit organisation that encourages young people to think more widely about Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and careers in industries such as manufacturing. Primary Engineer also delivers courses to STEM teachers to help them teach these subjects in a more inspiring way and engage with local employers. EEF member companies that support the organisation often send their engineers into the schools to talk about their careers and how they got to where they are now. See www.primaryengineer.com

The number of organisations that do similar work is endless, but to give readers an idea there exists:-

STEMNET - www.stemnet.org.uk

Inspiring the Future - www.inspiringthefuture.org

Small Piece Trust - www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk

F1 in Schools - www.f1inschools.co.uk/

Tomorrow’s Engineers - www.tomorrowsengineers. org.uk/home.cfm

See Inside Manufacturing - http://discuss.bis.gov.uk/ seeinsidemanufacturing

While this landscape is overwhelming and somewhat crowded, there are many organisations doing very similar things but unfortunately the ‘one stop shop’ for advice remains elusive.

BVAA’s advice to members is to take advantage of the services offered by organisations that most suit your particular business model and needs. Also, curry good relations with your local feeder schools, at both Primary and Secondary level. Scholars take their subject options at the tender age of just 14, so they need to be familiar with careers based on STEM subjects well before the end of their Year 9. A small investment now in terms of time and effort can often pay dividends later on when you are looking to engage the brighter students as new trainees and apprentices.

The same applies to local colleges and universities. Get to know the Head of Engineering and other STEM subject staff, attend their annual career days, perhaps even give short talks to students on careers in our beloved industry.

The move from to education to employment is a big step for young people – being a familiar face with a known career path will enable you to take the pick of the crop.


Published: 8th October 2013

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