The UK government is pushing for 2018 to be the Year of Engineering, with the aim to raise awareness regarding the UK’s engineering industry and inspire the next generation of engineers.
In the government campaign’s own words:
From spaceships to ice skates, the bubbles in chocolate bars to life saving cancer treatment, engineering touches every part of our lives. However, not enough young people – especially young girls – think it’s a world for them. As a result, the industry is struggling to recruit future talent. What’s more, young people are missing out on the chance to make a position difference to both their futures, that of the planet and everything that calls it home.”
<p style="text-align:center;"> <img title="The Year of Engineering 2018: Engineering UK Statistics Infographic" src="https://www.ashburnham-insurance.co.uk/wordpress/media/year-of-engineering-2018-infographic.png" alt="The Year of Engineering 2018: Engineering UK Statistics Infographic" /> Infographic by <a title="Ashburnham Insurance Services" href="https://www.ashburnham-insurance.co.uk">Ashburnham Insurance</a></p>
What is Engineering?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary:
engineering (noun)
- The branch of science and technology concerned with design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures.
- A field of study or activity concerned with modification or development in a particular area.
‘software engineering’
- A field of study or activity concerned with modification or development in a particular area.
- The action of working artfully to bring something about.
Engineering Statistics in the UK
Engineering contributes 26% of the UK’s GDP – more than that of retail, wholesale, financial, and insurance sectors combined! In 2015, engineering contributed £486 billion to the UK’s GDP.
Key employment statistics:
- 80% of engineering enterprises have 4 or fewer employees
- 52% of employees work in an enterprise with 100 or more people
- 42% of employees work in an enterprise with 250 or more people
5.7 million employees work for an engineering enterprise, representing 19% of total UK employment.
But not everyone working for a registered engineering enterprise is necessarily an engineer themselves. 1.74 jobs are supported by every person employed in engineering (a multiplier effect of 2.74).
In Q2 2017, there were an estimated 48,000 female engineers compared to just over 400,000 male engineers in the UK. This means that women comprise approximately 11% of the total working in engineering professions in the UK.
The same quarter of 2011 estimated that only 6% of engineers were women, so the past few years alone have seen an increase in female engineers.
The Future of Engineering
Technology and engineering are evolving quickly and Britain needs to keep up with the increasing demand for new infrastructure and highly skilled jobs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths).
Thanks to awareness raising campaigns and changes in the school curriculum, the country is heading in the right direction with an increase in the number of STEM degrees being obtained and the highest number of engineering related apprenticeships started for ten years (108,000). 51% of 11-16 year olds would “consider a career in engineering” in 2017, compared to 40% in 2013. This still falls short of the government’s projected targets, but we’re taking all the rights steps to get there!
Sources:
- http://www.engineeringuk.com/media/1355/enguk-report-2017.pdf
- https://fullfact.org/economy/women-engineers/
- https://www.engineering.gov.uk/
At Ashburnham, we can provide public liability insurance for engineers, as well as employers’ liability insurance for those in the engineering industry.