Young people’s perceptions of engineering are strongly associated with their parents’ opinion of engineering, according to
EngineeringUK’s latest Engineering Brand Monitor (EBM), which for the first time has linked the responses from over 4,000 young people and their parents.
It highlights a number of facts, including that: young people whose parents said they know what engineers do were more than twice as likely to express an interest in an engineering career than those whose parents said they did not; 78% of young people whose parents revealed they regularly do STEM activities with their child said they were interested in a career in engineering; and nearly 9 in 10 young people whose parents said they were confident giving their child advice about careers in engineering said they were interested in a career in engineering.
The EBM also suggests that knowledge of what an engineer does and how you become an engineer, as well as perceptions and interest in the profession, varies not only by gender but also socio-economic background, ethnicity and region.
For example: only 48% of girls say they know what engineers do, compared to 61% of boys; young people from lower income families are less likely to be interested in engineering, with only 43% of young people from a lower income and level of education family reporting interest compared to 65% from a higher income and level of education family.
The EBM also says where you live can influence your knowledge of engineering pathways, with teenagers in London twice as likely to know what subjects or qualifications they need to become an engineer than young people in the West Midlands (60% compared to 30%).
“The engineering sector currently draws its skills from a very narrow section of society, with only 16.5% of the engineering workforce being women compared to 47.7% of the entire national workforce. Moreover, only 11.4% are from minority ethnic backgrounds compared to 13.4% of the overall workforce.”
Hilary Leevers, EngineeringUK’s chief executive, said: “As the world emerges from the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the need for engineering talent is intensifying. Ambitions to ‘level up’ the country and make the UK a science superpower and an innovation nation will be hugely dependent on our engineering and tech workforce, as will achieving ‘net zero’ by 2050.
“Our research continues to highlight the need for more to be done to ensure engineering is, and is seen as, an inclusive career for all. Showing parents and young people first-hand the breadth of exciting engineering careers available will be paramount if we want to encourage more young people from all backgrounds to join the engineering workforce to meet the challenges of the 21st century.”
The EBM also shows there is a strong association between engagement in STEM activities and an interest in a future career in engineering, and that access to such activities varies between schools, with those with higher numbers of pupils eligible for free school meals less likely to run STEM activities. In particular, one in five young people had not taken part in any careers’ activities in the past 12 months.
“Evidence shows that young people who know more about what engineers do are more likely to perceive the profession in a positive way and to consider a career in engineering. It also shows that STEM outreach and education activities are critical in this context.”