It’s time to rethink engineers’ role in the world

The Engineers 2030 project sets out a new vision and principles for the engineers of the future, writes Royal Academy of Engineering Head of Education and Skills Policy, Juliet Upton.

The global effort to address climate change demands an urgent and new response from engineers, working for and with wider society. Engineering is fundamental to achieving all the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, so we need many more engineers and technicians to deliver solutions to the climate crisis, be that for green energy or for building digital and physical infrastructures. 

At the last count in the UK in 2021, the Green Jobs Taskforce estimated that over half a million more new engineers are needed to deliver this green revolution – and that is on top of the looming crisis of the ageing demographic of the existing engineering workforce. The UK simply does not have enough engineers, despite the best efforts of many across industry, academia, and the professional engineering institutions to recruit and retain them.

So where will we find engineering skills both in greater quantity right across the UK, and crucially, from a much wider representation of society? The engineering profession has for decades faced an engineering skills deficit and a diversity challenge. Gender diversity remains largely static at 16.5%.  Pathways into engineering can be narrow and inaccessible.  And this matters. Not only are we limiting our access to recruiting more talent from across the UK, but we also know that without diversity of talent and thought across engineering teams, the design and implementation of the solutions simply won’t work for all in society. 

The engineering community has recognised that it’s time to rethink engineering and technology skills to build a world in which both people and planet can thrive. 

It’s time to reconsider what it means to be a professional engineer and technician in a world which requires not only essential and advanced technical skills to solve global challenges, but also demands a new set of behaviours and values from our engineers.

That’s why the Royal Academy of Engineering on behalf of the National Engineering Policy Centre, is launching Engineers 2030. The project is designed to be a catalyst for change.  It will address how engineering knowledge, skills and behaviours are changing in the 21st century and establish what is needed to attract, educate, recruit, retain and develop many more engineers and technicians in the future. To do this, we’ll need to understand the systems, cultures, and policies currently in place in the UK to deliver this. 

Our goal is to define the principles for how UK education and skills systems need to change to be effective in developing engineering skills to meet global challenges. We will bring evidence-informed and stakeholder-led policy solutions – and galvanise action from the players in the systems and support them to implement them.

This must be a shared endeavour. Engineers don’t operate in siloes. They work in inter-disciplinary teams with scientists, archaeologists, lawyers, and accountants to name but a few. Engineering and technology is not only at the centre of our made world, but increasingly supports humanity’s ability to ensure that the natural world survives and thrives. This puts engineers and technicians at the centre of UK growth, prosperity and, along with others, the guardians of the long-term sustainability of our planet. Engineering skills have, arguably, never been more essential for humanity and the environment.

Engineering and technology is not only at the centre of our made world, but increasingly supports humanity’s ability to ensure that the natural world survives and thrives

We’re ready for the challenge. Working with and for all the partners in the National Engineering Policy Centre, we’ll be sharing at our launch on Monday 18 March: a new vision, and principles for engineers for 2030 and beyond. 

We’ve set out the case for change in our launch paper, drawn on evidence of the future skills needs of engineers in the 21^st century and held creative Futures workshops with a range of stakeholders.  The result is a ‘straw person’ – a considered view of what we think engineers and technicians need to be from 2030 and beyond.  Please do join us if you are available to debate our Vision on 18 March in person or online.   Places are filling up fast so be sure to register for free. 

This is only the beginning.  Over the next few months, we’ll be consulting and engaging across the UK – and beyond – to benefit from a wider and deeper experience of views. We’ll hear from young people, engineers, employers, educators and policymakers on how best we can establish a new - and shared - vision for engineers in the 21^st century.