Experts are stepping in to highlight engineering

Nov 19 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

A BAND of young engineering experts are stepping in to save a North East industry which is looming on the verge a huge, and potentially destructive, skills shortage.

By 2014 it is estimated that the region’s engineering sector could face a 20,000-person skills shortage due to a lack of awareness among young people on the benefits of a career in the industry.

Despite the many varied areas of process engineering such as robotics and military vehicle design, a worryingly-low number of North East youngsters are being drawn towards it.

According to research from the Institute of Mechanical Engineering (IMechE), 70% of young people aged 16 to 19 do not know what engineering is.

Despite a number of large engineering-reliant players having a presence in the region such as Siemens, Nissan and Filtronic, a skills shortage could dent the future attractiveness of the North East to multinational giants.

Fortunately, a group of young ambassadors who joined forces three years ago to do something about the concerning trend are now bringing people behind some of the most cutting-edge engineering feats to the region.

The 17 successful engineers and technology experts in their 20s make up the group which was created under IMechE’s Young Members Panel banner – to show North East youngsters just what they are missing out on.

On Monday, in the latest in a long line of the group’s events in schools and universities, young people of the North East will have the chance to see how technology engineering could revolutionise the military.

The event at Northumbria University will see a display by a London-based company which is developing a robotic arm to defuse landmines. Other presentations in the coming months will feature the team behind the design of the Panther - a military vehicle that is replacing the Snatch Land Rover.

Meanwhile, racing car experts Cosworth will pull up in the region next month to explain the inside story on racing engine manufacture.

And, in the new year, members of the team behind Virgin Galactic’s commercial sub-orbital space launch system, will also land in the North East.

The YMP’s chairman Michael Zambas, who also works for Siemens Power Generation, said: “People don’t know what engineering is – we visited one school and one teacher thought it was the same as craft design and technology. We are hoping to attract 100 to 150 people to the next event. Our events are always free.

"People don’t know what engineering is. One teacher thought it was the same as craft design and technology."

CLICK HERE for information on the YMP's upcoming events in the North East.