18th December 2017

Thomasons Director challenges the status quo at universities to attract more engineers

An opinion piece by Thomasons Director Nick Russell features in the latest issue of Building Magazine. Its topic – how the industry can address the serious shortage of engineers* – is particularly apt as 2018 will see the launch of a cross-government campaign, The Year of Engineering, to raise awareness of engineering careers.

As a former President of the Institution of Structural Engineers, Nick has spoken with many groups of young people around the world to promote the industry and listened to their views.

He believes that more can be done, particularly at university level, to encourage more people into engineering. He suggests that universities should reconsider entrance requirements for engineering degree courses to include people with less obvious qualifications, such as an A-level in Art. He argues that the level of maths required in engineering degree courses can be taught at university and that qualifications that demonstrate creativity are of equal importance.

Nick also suggests closer collaboration between universities and employers to tailor degree courses more closely to the needs of the workplace and for mutual understanding.

In the article, two civil engineering students who are on a year’s placement bring their thoughts to this important debate.

To read the full article in Building Magazine please click here.

*An extra 1.8m engineers are technically-qualified people are needed in the UK by 2025, according to research Engineering UK 2017