Filling the STEM skills gap 16/12/2011
Posted by CBSbutler Ltd in Apprenticeships, skills shortages.Tags: apprenticeships, engineers, skills shortage, STEM, Surrey SATRO, talent shortage, unemployment
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UK unemployment has now hit a 17 year high with the total number of unemployed people now reaching a staggering 2.64m and the number of young people out of work remaining above 1 million.
Yet a recent report from the Confederation of British Industry, quoted in the Guardian, revealed that 59% of employers are having problems finding staff with STEM skills. The report also highlighted predictions that the situation will worsen over the next three years. In order to tackle the problem the introduction of more apprenticeships may be the answer.
Apprenticeships offer a paid alternative to those who cannot afford tuition fees or extended periods of time without pay whilst studying for qualifications. They offer young people seeking employment the opportunity to earn a wage whilst working alongside experienced staff to gain job specific skills. The Government is making efforts to tackle the skills shortage by introducing a scheme for businesses to develop vocational training programmes. From early 2012, employers will be able to bid for a share of the new £250million Government fund to invest in their training schemes and develop apprenticeships. However vocational qualifications such as apprenticeships have the perception of being a lower value qualification than the academic route. In my opinion, this is simply not true and this message needs to reinforced form an earlier stage in education.
UK businesses need to start working with schools and supporting initiatives to highlight the benefits of STEM subjects, and encourage younger people onto science, technology, engineering and maths careers. Experiencing firsthand the shortages in the industry, we encourage teachers to dispel the myth that these subjects are geeky and discover how fun maths and science can be in order to entice them to study these as part of their GCSE subjects. Each year we hold an annual Festival of Science and Engineering with SATRO (a charity aimed at increasing the number of pupils taking up STEM subjects) and provide funding, PR promotion and judging support for various school competitions.
Let us know what you think. What more can be done to entice UK businesses to offer apprenticeships? What do you feel could help encourage young people into STEM careers?
Britain’s brain drain 15/09/2011
Posted by CBSbutler Ltd in CBSbutler, future engineers, highly skilled, skills shortages.Tags: engineers, talent shortage
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A report from the immigration think tank MigrationWatch has revealed that more than a million of the highest-qualified and best-trained Britons are moving abroad. The study also exposes that no other country loses as many university graduates through emigration as the UK.
This brain drain has resulted in Britain’s most talented and skilled moving to countries such as Australia, Germany and the US in order to boost their careers. Research from GfK (one of the largest market research companies in the world) suggests that people are driven by a desire to escape the high costs of living and the static wages of the country.
UK businesses face a significant loss of talent just at the time when they need it the most. The UK Border Agency Shortage Occupation list includes civil engineers, mechanical engineers and electrical engineers among others. It has been suggested that not enough efforts are being made to keep the brightest and the best in the country.
The brain drain is apparently higher among younger workers with 36% of those aged 18-29 willing to move. This is already beginning to impact on the UK engineering market in particular, which is now facing problems of an ageing workforce and not enough new talent to cover the deficit.
What needs to be done?
As talent plays an important role in helping a country develop, more needs to be done to keep hold of our skilled workers. The technical and engineering sector needs to cultivate a sense of security and hope among the elite and demonstrate confidence in the UK’s economy. The industry therefore needs to provide more competitive packages to workers to stay in the country such as employers offering subsidised training, and apprenticeships.
Other ways to encourage Britain’s talent into the UK industry could be to offer financial incentives to university students on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses, or for engineering graduates to pay less tuition fees than other subjects.
At CBSbutler we are trying to tackle this issue by supporting initiatives that encourage younger people into science, technology, engineering and maths careers. Experiencing firsthand the shortages in the industry, which is set to continue in the following years, we encourage teachers to dispel the myth that these subjects are geeky and discover how fun maths and science can be. Each year we hold an annual Festival of Science and Engineering with SATRO (a charity aimed at increasing the number of pupils taking up STEM subjects) and provide funding, PR promotion and judging support for various school competitions.
Let us know what you think. What more can be done to keep Britain’s talent at home?
Women engineers – where are they? 10/03/2011
Posted by CBSbutler Ltd in CBSbutler, Development, Engagement, Engineering, future engineers, highly skilled, Recruitment, skills shortages, women.Tags: Engineering, engineers, talent shortage, women
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Did you know that only 7% of engineers in the UK are women? This is the lowest number of women professionals in this sector in Europe – compared to 18% in Spain, 26% in Sweden and 20% in Italy. This research has been carried out by the UKRC, the leading UK organisation working to promote women’s participation in science, engineering and technology.
Jobs market “on road to recovery” – but where are our future engineers? 26/01/2011
Posted by CBSbutler Ltd in CBSbutler, Defence, Engineering, future engineers, KPMG, science, skills shortages.Tags: Engineering, engineers, talent shortage
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A recent report, led by professional services firm KPMG, declares “the jobs market is on the road to recovery”. In particular it states that December saw the biggest increase in demand in 6 months for temporary staff in the engineering sector. The report also shows that employers within this sector are experiencing a shortage of skills in permanent staff.
