“UK ‘faces shortage of engineers’”
Posted in Skills on October 12th, 2009 by OLCI“The UK faces a shortage of electrical engineers and might be unable to complete major infrastructure projects in future, one expert has warned.
Speaking to the Newcastle Journal, Jane Atkinson, vice-president of utilities at SembCorp UK, explained that the demands placed on the country by European emissions targets could expose these shortcomings.
To meet these requirements, the government will have to invest in a range of new power plants, from nuclear generators to windfarms and this will require a range of engineers, she stated.
"If you look at building the Olympic Stadium, how many engineers are involved – civil, mechanical, structural, electrical and chemical – but we won’t be able to do those massive infrastructure projects in the future, we’ll have to bring in foreign labour," Ms Atkinson said.
She called for more information to be given to the public, parents and teachers so they can help children decide if a career in engineering is right for them, she added.
Recently, the Bristol Construction Academy at Filton College revealed that it has seen a large increase in the number of mature students showing an interest in its courses since the start of the recession.
According to the academy, this is because many people are looking to reskill after losing their jobs.”
Source: ECA, April 2009
