Pupils in schools typically have no idea what an engineer is. Often confused with mechanic or maintenance roles, what we actually do stretches from the ocean floor to outer space and covers everything in between.
In actual fact, engineers work on extremely complex projects – developing new products, generating concepts, undertaking calculations and carrying out detailed analysis work.
While we’ve always been passionate about encouraging young people to engage with STEM subjects, this year marks the Year of Engineering and so the Ardmore Craig team has endeavoured to inspire more young engineers than ever before.
Visiting schools and colleges across the North East, we have delivered presentations, career days and interview training sessions in order to bring an understanding of what it takes to become and engineer, and dispel the industry’s myths.
Almost 20 per cent of people in the UK are employed in the engineering sector, with an additional 79,000 engineering-related roles arising every year.
It’s extremely important that we inspire the future talent of the industry and engage with young people on a regular basis in order to educate them on the range of career options available to them.
We’re especially passionate about attracting more women to the industry. While females make up 47 per cent of the UK workforce, only 12 per cent of this workforce are employed in engineering roles.
In order to make a real change, we believe it’s important to target the future workforce at even the youngest level – supplying STEM based toys to nursery in order to encourage creative play.
We then work with the same children at secondary school level, offering industrial placements for those interested in understanding what a career as a design engineer may encompass.
By talking to them about the vast range of activities we (and other engineers) carry out on a daily basis, we hope to encourage a new wave of enthusiastic talent to join the engineering profession.
