Engineering skills deficit: smashing the mould

There are many determined to overturn the negative image engineering has had to endure, once and for all. Engineering Careers met two such people – John Druce, head of learning and development at communications giant Arqiva, and former apprentice and now engineer at the company, Victoria Shepherd

We have an engineering problem in the UK. The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has repeatedly warned of the decreasing numbers of engineering and technology skills in UK plc – indeed, almost one in five employers from engineering businesses have little confidence at the prospect of finding new staff with the right level of skills in the years to come.*

That is the grim summing up from John Druce, head of learning and development at Arqiva, the communications infrastructure and media services company that operates at the heart of the broadcast, satellite and mobile communications markets.

"Just when conventional thinking demands that we produce more engineering graduates as a country, thousands of young people faced with the prospect of crippling debts question the wisdom of going into higher education. On top of this, the well-documented decline in the number of pupils studying science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects only serves to exacerbate the problem. As a STEM ambassador myself, we can only do so much.

"There are, however, two solutions to this conundrum. The first is to embrace the evolving cultural shift in young people's attitude to learning: that undertaking an apprenticeship is no longer viewed as the poor man's career choice. The second is to adopt a modern approach to recruiting the next generation of engineers."

Earn as you learn

In the past, work-based learning was associated with people who did badly at school and went on to earn lesser salaries. A degree made you more employable and was the 'only' option for those wanting to take charge of their future. This perception is dramatically changing, he points out

"A work-based learning approach is one way of laying the foundations for future success – both for business and employees. From a company perspective, apprentices are a proven way of gaining committed employees – individuals that have taken the decision to learn on the job within a specific field – which, in turn, can reduce expensive staff turnover costs. Furthermore, the Institute for Employment Research (IER) has demonstrated that an apprenticeship yields sound financial return on investment, as training costs are recouped relatively quickly, whereas recruitment and induction costs remain high.**

Valuable skills

"From an employee perspective, an apprenticeship provides the opportunity not only to earn a wage, but also to learn valuable skills quickly and effectively and be well placed for future employment on completion of the course.

"But the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's (CIPD) annual Learning and Talent Development survey revealed that only 35% of UK businesses intended hiring apprentices in 2011. While the government is making the right overtures by making significant investment and creating bold targets to ensure that young people have the right skills in the workplace, the impetus must be on companies to demonstrate that an alternative career path can prove rewarding." Which leads Druce to his second point.

Beyond the STEM sell

"Engineering companies need to assess entry-level employees on their capacity to learn – and not just on their science A-levels. Organisations that genuinely want to tap into the widest pool of talent have to lift some of the barriers. It is a matter of being selective in a different way.
Much as we may lament the decline of STEM subjects in schools, a failure to look beyond this selection criterion severely restricts the pool of talent available. The future must lie with assessment and aptitude tests that look at the potential in individuals – the capacity to solve problems, demonstration of mathematical and verbal reasoning, and interpersonal and communications skills. All indispensable skills in modern engineering."

This is the approach adopted at Arqiva. Competition for places on its apprenticeship scheme is rightly tough – because the rewards are tangible. Last year, 19 apprentices began working in roles in power systems, field operations and network operations, working at the cutting edge of broadcasting and communications technology.

Vital roles

"It is our strong belief that these individuals will go on to play vital roles within the company," states Druce. "Moreover, our view is that a school leaver who has worked within the company's various operations teams for three years and completed our three-year apprenticeship programme has as much an opportunity to advance within the company as the graduate who has come via the conventional route.

"We do this because successful engineering has always been built on the back of a skilled workforce. For the UK to continue to compete globally, readdressing these narrow views of training and recruitment are but two steps that must be taken.

Author
Brian Wall

Related Companies
Arqiva

This material is protected by Findlay Media copyright
See Terms and Conditions.
One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not.
For multiple copies contact the sales team.