The Royal Academy of Engineering is proud to be a partner in the government’s Year of Engineering 2018, launched today, a national campaign to inspire the next generation of engineers and widen the pool of young people who join the profession.
Ministers from across government are joining forces with engineers, industry experts and hundreds of businesses to change perceptions around engineering – and highlight the scale of opportunities that careers in the industry hold for young people in the UK. 2018 is officially the Year of Engineering and will see a national drive in all corners of the country to inspire the young people who will shape our future.
Throughout 2018, young people and their parents will have the chance to take a closer look at engineering, with thousands of inspiring experiences of engineering on offer throughout the country. The campaign will showcase the creativity, variety and innovation of the profession. It will also highlight the opportunities and benefits of engineering careers for all young people, regardless of their gender, ethnicity or social background.
With the Year of Engineering officially underway, engineers and organisations across the country are marking the launch by celebrating the positive impact of engineering, from paving the way for medical breakthroughs or making a much-loved hobby possible for someone with a disability, to bringing music, film and theatre to life.
Academy activities during the Year of Engineering will include an exciting new digital marketing campaign, This is Engineering, which seeks to rebrand engineering for young people aged 13-18. This ambitious project has been developed with support from industry to be a more visible, powerful and unifying campaign than previous initiatives for a teen audience, and provide content that all engineering organisations can use to attract the next generation of talent.
This is Engineering and the Year of Engineering will work together in 2018 to catalyse greater public awareness of engineering, using aligned messages about engineering’s appeal and impact. This is Engineering will then continue beyond 2018, building on the Year of Engineering with a sustained effort to encourage more young people to pursue engineering.
Professor Dame Ann Dowling OM DBE FREng FRS, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says:
“The Year of Engineering provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase the benefits of engineering to the UK economy and the myriad different career options that are available for young people, building on and elevating the work delivered by the profession to date to engage young people with STEM, and engineering in particular. I welcome the government’s invaluable support in promoting the sector.
“Engineering is an exciting and stimulating job where you can make a real difference, improving and enriching people's lives, sometimes on a global scale.”
Secretary of State for Transport The Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP said:
“Engineers – whether they are working on cutting-edge technology in aerospace, energy or artificial intelligence – are vital to the lifeblood of our economy.
“We want to show young people and their parents the immense creativity, opportunity and value of the profession. By bringing them face to face with engineering role models and achievements we can send a clear message that engineering careers are a chance for all young people, regardless of gender, ethnicity or social background, to shape the future of this country and have a real impact on the lives of those around them.”
Skills Minister The Rt Hon Anne Milton MP said:
“I want to see everyone whatever their background, wherever they live to have a chance to get a rewarding career or job in engineering whether they come via a technical or academic route.
The Year of Engineering gives us a great opportunity to work together with business to inspire a new generation of world class engineers. We want to build the science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills that we need for a growing economy, as highlighted in the Government’s Industrial Strategy”
Notes for Editors
1. The Year of Engineering launches today. To find out more, including details of engineering activities and events taking place throughout 2018, visit the Year of Engineering web site or follow @YoEgovuk on Twitter.
2. Royal Academy of Engineering. As the UK’s national academy for engineering, we bring together the most successful and talented engineers for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering. We provide analysis and policy support to promote the UK’s role as a great place to do business. We take a lead on engineering education and we invest in the UK’s world-class research base to underpin innovation. We work to improve public awareness and understanding of engineering. We are a national academy with a global outlook.
We have four strategic challenges:
- Make the UK the leading nation for engineering innovation
- Address the engineering skills crisis
- Position engineering at the heart of society
- Lead the profession
For more information please contact:
Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering
T: 020 7766 0636
E: Jane Sutton