The Pearson Engineering Skills Forum took place on 26th November at the Strand offices in central London. The discussion was attended by representatives from eleven different organisations, including Airbus, Siemens and Halliburton. This allowed for a dynamic conversation, with perspectives from across the sector.

By identifying these foundations, the report addresses a different way of recruitment: considering intersectoral mobility of staff to identify a ‘reservoir of talent’. To close his presentation, Paul outlined that there is a need to do something different: “Clearly we need a proper collaboration between those in education, those that are in business, and government."

Five key themes from the discussion

Exposure: The group agreed that graduates aren’t always entering the workplace with the skills they need. This can be caused by the pace of work and technology moving ahead of what is being taught, but often it is a lack of softer skills, problem solving and communication. Work-readiness improves when students have exposure to a working environment, as it provides confidence and understanding of what is really required to deliver in the workplace. Furthermore, students do not always realise that engineering jobs are present across a wide range of sectors, even though it covers every part of our daily lives, such as transport, entertainment and communication. In fact, according to an article published on FE news, engineering contributes to 23% of the UK’s total turnover, and we need to be able to showcase this to students from a young age.

Collaboration: The conversation continued around the need for all key stakeholders to be involved, including teachers and parents. The theme of collaboration featured strongly throughout the morning and employers shared great examples of ways they are already working with education, through both formal learning and workplace development. However, it was agreed that this engagement needs to be better harnessed and supported to systematically improve sector skills.

Flexibility: Change has to be a two-way interaction where people are open to innovation and are able to adapt. This particularly applies to educators and the group discussed the need to stop doing things in the same way that they have been done in the past. For Paul Ashbee (GKN Aerospace), one of the important points to consider is being able to engage with the learners to ensure that positive learning is achieved. Paul Nelson added: “What is the investment that we are putting into the skills of our teachers and trainers?” However, a key point was raised around the fact that schools need the capacity and resources to be able to do this.

Diversity: This topic also featured prominently, and gender inequality is an example of this. Engineering is traditionally seen as a male-dominated career and it was acknowledged that a shift is needed to increase inclusivity. Although the group discussed certain organisations that have achieved positive gender balance, overall the sector has not seen progress within engineering since 2017 in the UK (according to the 2019 IET Skills Survey). Paul Jackson summed up the importance of this point: “If we are really going to be innovative, we’ve got to be more diverse.”

Overall, it was agreed that the first Pearson Skills Forum was a success, however the real work now begins to drive the conversation forward. Participants concluded that that the skills gap is the responsibility of the whole sector, and Pearson can use this discussion as a springboard to facilitate alignment between employers, educators, professional bodies and government. As an example, “Only one in four companies (26%) have partnerships with FE colleges or universities to help them develop courses matched to their needs (IET Survey).” Pearson can help to bridge that gap.

At Pearson, our mission is to deliver high-quality education that empowers people to progress in their lives through learning. For further reading on skills and challenges, you can access the recently published annual CBI/Pearson Education and Skills Survey report. If you have any questions about this event, or our qualifications, please contact us at progression@pearson.com.