Why do we have a shortage of qualified Engineers across Europe? Tony Ward, University of York, England

Electrical & Electronic Engineering BSc (Hons) 1975 – 10 job applications 11 job offers! 2012 – 10 job applications 1 job offer perhaps!

The Problem “The UK needs to increase by as much as 50% the number of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) graduates it is creating.” “100,000 STEM graduates are needed a year just to maintain the status quo.” Engineering UK 2014, UK Royal Academy of Engineering

Presentation contents The lossy education pipeline A look at the numbers Levers to do something about it The conclusions

End of compulsory education The Lossy Pipeline Engineering Employment Non-Engineering Employment First Employment Transition Primary Education 5 – – – – 21 AGE Pt 1 Secondary Education STEM Bias Non STEM Bias Maths & Physics Technology IT Other subjects Pt 2 Secondary Education Engineering Social Sciences Arts & Humanities STM Tertiary Education

Students with a STEM bias Assumption: Engineering Entry Requirement: Mathematics A-level results 2014 All subjects n = 833,807: Male = 379,823 (45.6%) Female = 453,984 (54.5%) Mathematics n = 88,816: Male = 54,442 (61.3%) Female = 34,374 (38.7%) Mathematics total = 10.65%

Students entering HE “Statistics published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills show that 49.3% of young people in England entered higher education in the last academic year, the highest rate on record and just a shade below the 50% mark that successive governments have vowed to reach.” What percentage of these accepted students went into Engineering?

Students entering Engineering UCAS Statistics

Accepted students 2013 by Sub-discipline

Temporal Stability

Female distribution Percentage Female Engineering Entrants in 2012 by Sub-discipline TotalUKNon EUEU (exc UK)Total Sub-disciplinen%% H1 - General Engineering %24.5%14.5%16.9% H2 - Civil Engineering %21.1%26.3%16.0% H3 - Mechanical Engineering %9.8%8.2%8.0% H4 - Aerospace Engineering %13.2%18.4%10.7% H5 - Naval Architecture %13.6%13.5%12.3% H6 - Electronic and Electrical Engineering %19.9%8.8%10.1% H7 - Production and Manufacturing Engineering %25.0%20.4%22.8% H8 - Chemical,Process and Energy Engineering %36.3%41.3%27.1% H9 - Others in Engineering1163.6% HH - Combinations within Engineering %13.2%10.7%11.3%

Students in Engineering Percentage students accepted to Uni = 49.3% Percentage of accepted students going into Engineering = 5.33% (average 2008 – 2013) Extended Subject Group: Physical sciences Mathematical sciences Engineering Computer sciences Technologies Combined sciences Percentage of extended subject group students going into Engineering = 17.21% (average 2008 – 2013) Loss = 2.63% Loss = 8.48% Optimistic!

The Numbers Total number of students accepted to HE: 480,000 Percentage taking Engineering: 5.33% = 25,584 Where do these go? Using DLHE statistics: Full-time Employment: 15,709 Part-time Employment: 1,740 Work & further study: 1,663 Full-time study: 2,993 Part-time study: 384 Unemployment: 2,200

Levers to do something More bodies into the pipeline More graduates by 2020 Graduation in 2020 (age 21) Entry to University 2017 (age 18 assumption of 3 year degree) These people are aged 14 now!

End of compulsory education The Lossy Pipeline Engineering Engineering Employment First Employment Transition Social Sciences Arts & Humanities STM Non-Engineering Employment Tertiary Education Maths & Physics Technology IT Other subjects Pt 2 Secondary Education Pt 1 Secondary Education Primary Education 5 – – – – 21 AGE STEM Bias Non STEM Bias x1 x2x3

Levers to do something More bodies into the pipeline More graduates by 2020 Graduation in 2020 (age 21) Entry to University 2017 (age 18 assumption of 3 year degree) These people are aged 14 now! Well into their Secondary education – probably already have their STEM (or non-STEM) bias established! But what about the numbers?

Levers to do something 1.More bodies into the pipeline Relevant population is lower! 2.Reduce losses Increase bias towards STEM subjects in 11 – 16 age range IET: Faraday Challenge; Schools Outreach; Local HEI initiatives; Lego League RAE: Big Bang UK Arduino Challenge; Raspberry Pi Challenge; Makey Makey Draw more females into STEM early on (% doing maths is lower than males) Make Engineering: more attractive earlier (5.33% of all graduate entrants is too low!) MUCH more attractive to females (7% of engineering entrants are female – or 0.37%of all graduate entrants are for female engineering!) Male % % Female % % Total

Conclusions Relying on natural increase in numbers (i.e. Passive activity) will not work Short term actions in HE to make programmes more attractive – probably will not work Initiatives targeting more engineers for 2020 are almost completely now too late! Need long term sustained activities aimed at young students Alternatives: Fill the pipeline with non-traditional bodies Life Long Learners Past qualified school leavers in a different career

Why do we have a shortage of qualified Engineers across Europe? Thank you for listening Questions?