NEW RESOURCE TO INSPIRE FUTURE WELSH ENGINEERS

‘Peiriannu’ch dyfodol’ is a new PowerPoint presentation to inspire 14 to 19 year olds in Wales to consider a career in engineering. This has been launched on the Neon platform which brings together the UK’s best engineering experiences and inspiring careers resources and stories to help teachers bring STEM to life with real world examples of engineering.

Developed by the Tomorrow’s Engineers careers working group, it explores engineering sectors that are expected to flourish in the future – from big data and life sciences to agricultural technologies and low carbon economy – and profiles different engineers, skills required and routes into engineering.

The Tomorrow’s Engineers careers working group is led by EngineeringUK, and comprises education, outreach, careers, and marketing specialists from the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Engineering and Technology, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Institute of Physics, Royal Academy of Engineering, UCL Engineering as well as a secondary school teacher.

They work together to produce inspiring, accessible, free engineering careers resources for schools, on behalf of the engineering community.

A new versatile resource

This presentation can be used by anyone who wants to inspire and inform young people about a career in engineering, such as STEM ambassadors, teachers, and careers advisors. It can also be adapted to suit the needs of the presenter and audience.

This resource includes:

• The importance of engineering and why you should choose it
• Examples of careers in engineering
• How to get into engineering
• Case studies from engineers in the industry

Pursue a creative career in engineering

Engineering has shaped our world into what it is today and the industry needs more young people to go down this career pathway.

A recent report from EngineeringUK uncovered parents’ influence on young people on attitudes to engineering, and it discovered that 36% of young people in Wales agreed that ‘being an engineer fits well with who they are’. This means that Wales has the lowest proportion of young people who believe engineering fits into who they are, compared to England which has the highest with 45% of young people agreeing with the statement. This indicates that Welsh young people need more support for them to feel that they belong in an engineering career, and would benefit from the ‘Peiriannu’ch dyfodol’ Powerpoint presentation.

There are countless opportunities and rewards for those who pursue a creative career in engineering. This is highlighted through case studies of real engineers from the ‘This is Engineering’ campaign, which are featured in the presentation:

Jahangir is a broadcast engineer who grew up making cardboard cameras and pretending he was behind the scenes. This led him to his work keeping the programmes on air for the BBC and Sky. Jahangir said: “engineering allows me to build a career doing something that I love”.

Daniela is a mechanical engineer who always had a passion for Art and design at school. She realised she could bring her ideas into a new reality through engineering because “engineering means magic. You can change how people do things in their everyday lives”.

Alan is a senior orthotic technician who took an apprenticeship in industrial applications, which started his career in engineering. What Alan loves most about his job is “the impact it has and how it can be used to help people”.

Eleanor Eyre, Head of Careers at EngineeringUK says:

“Engineers transform the way we live. Their work cuts across every conceivable area, from how we power our homes to medical technology and disaster response and space exploration. It is our job to nurture the engineers of the future and show young people that through a career in engineering they could have an impact on a global scale.”