Welcome to the Autumn/Winter edition of RevEAL
In our bumper third and final edition of 2019, we reflect on a successful year for EAL and give you the inside track on the challenges and opportunities coming in 2020.
In our bumper third and final edition of 2019, we reflect on a successful year for EAL and give you the inside track on the challenges and opportunities coming in 2020.
EAL is proud to announce success in a joint bid with City & Guilds in delivering two T Level qualifications under the Construction route: in Building Services Engineering and On-Site Construction.
Available for delivery by eligible providers from September 2021, the qualifications form part of the second wave of T Levels.
Although it's difficult to clearly pinpoint who said it first, the phrase 'nation of shopkeepers' is a term most of us are familiar with. First used to describe the UK economy around 1794, the phrase made reference to the UK being a commercial power, built on the day-to-day running of small and large businesses prior to the era of industrialisation.
The future of recruitment is a hot topic for discussion. Particularly when it comes to the engineering and advanced manufacturing sector. UK government statistics reveal that engineering contributes to 26% of the UK GDP (more than that of retail, wholesale, financial and insurance sectors combined). With figures like that it's easy to see that now, more than ever before, it's imperative that we have the right people, with the right skills, in the right job, at the right time.
So how can the engineering and advanced manufacturing sector recruitment process be simplified?
One strong contender for the solution is Engineering Talent.
When it comes to celebrating and showcasing the best talent in the advanced manufacturing and engineering sector there is really only one night you cannot afford to miss: the annual Enginuity Skills Awards. Hailed as the most prestigious event in the advanced manufacturing and engineering sector calendar, the festivities take time to award the best in UK talent.
Since their launch in 2014, the awards have always been purposeful in bringing to the forefront, the talented individuals and companies that make the advanced manufacturing and engineering sector one of the jewels in the crown of the UK economy.
It's easy to take having a voice for granted. Having your views and opinions heard and considered. Sadly, for many people studying and working in different industries around the globe, this is not a privilege they are granted. Here at Enginuity we strongly believe in the voice of apprentices training in the engineering and advanced manufacturing sector. Today's apprentices are tomorrow's workforce, the energy and power behind the industry.
While the skills gap is nothing new on the radar, many people outside the engineering and advanced manufacturing sector would definitely be surprised at some of the latest stats. Having an inherent need for more and more people to take up engineering studies in order to sustain industry growth there is a deep concern for how this can be achieved within the current UK economy.
So how exactly do we introduce young people to the engineering and advanced manufacturing sector? A Birmingham based programme for 14-16-year-olds may have some key answers.
November 2018 marked the 5th anniversary of Professor John Perkins' Review of Engineering - a report originally commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Professor John Perkins CBE (Chief Scientific Advisor to the BIS at the time) was assigned the task of authoring the report on engineering training opportunities and the subsequent skills shortage within the UK. Taking 2 years to prepare, the 2013 report shed light on a definite engineering skills shortage and the effects this was having on the UK economy in the aftermath of the Great Recession.
Welcome to the latest edition of RevEAL - a unique publication of engineering and manufacturing specific news, views and analysis created and curated specially for you, the customers of EAL.
This Summer 2019 edition is now available for you to download here.
From photography to finance, from football to pharmaceuticals - there seems to be world youth challenges, conferences and competitions for everything at the moment. These opportunities for rising talent to showcase skills and ideas on a national and international stage have paved the way for many aspiring young people over the years. WorldSkills UK is no different - an initiative structured around 3 core programmes to champion young people's success in partnership with business, education and governments.
WorldSkills UK's competition cycle starts with National Qualifiers in your chosen skill, these are held all over the UK between May – July. If you are successful in gaining a top 8 position from across the UK in your skill you will then be invited to compete at WorldSkills UK LIVE. WorldSkills UK LIVE is an annual competition that stands as the nation's largest skills, apprenticeships and careers event.
Attracting more than 75,000 visitors, the competition is the pinnacle for skill recognition and proudly supports the place of apprenticeships and technical training in the UK. WorldSkills UK, Chief Executive, Neil Bentley says it best: "Our mission is to change the national conversation so that apprenticeships and technical education are seen as prestigious career routes for all young people across the UK, whatever their background, and on a par with university as a route into meaningful careers".
But what exactly does this have to do with engineering?
In order to truly understand the value of something, it's well worth imagining life without it. Can you envision a UK economy without engineering? In 2018 the UK engineering industry employed in excess of 5.6 million people and accounted for a total of 26.9% of all registered UK businesses. According to the latest Engineering UK report (2018), the engineering sector generated £1.23 trillion (23.2% of the UK turnover).
It's clear we need Engineering in the UK, both now and in the AI-infused time to come. What better way to secure the future of the industry in the UK then to offer high standard opportunities for learning and development? Here at EAL, we see this being encapsulated in the form of apprenticeships.