At the 2023 STC Innovation & Growth Conference, the STC launched its latest workstream focussed on Skills. Watch the announcement here.
The Institution of Engineering and Technolgoy (IET) research shows that 49% of engineering firms struggle to find the skills they need. the current shortage of 173,000 engineers is getting worse with 18,000 more engineers retiring than new starters coming in every year, so action is needed to ensure that the pipeline of available talent and skills does not dry up.
Insufficient traction with various population groups, including women, ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ community stem from existing pre-conceptions about engineering and the value an engineering career can bring.
The aim of the Skills strand is to bring educators and industry together for mutual benefit, to both aid companies with recruitment & retention and upskilling as well as creating awareness with, and opportunities for, students and pupils. This includes promoting the opportunities on offer with cluster companies to youngsters so they may consider engineering and technology as viable career routes.
As part of this aim, the STC will be supporting initiatives that encourage the uptake of STEM courses in schools, and especially with female and minority groups in order to potentially widen the future supply pool of young engineers.
As part of the Skills stream, a number of our Business Growth group events and content will specifically focus on Retention and Recruitment, and the STC will look to support and grow initiatives in the various stages of pupils’ trajectory, such as (for example) the Primary Engineer programme for 4-11 year olds, the Silverstone Park schools programme for 11-16 year olds, a programme to help students find apprenticeships and study projects and a social programme to support new starters with companies in the area get settled.
Alongside this, communal training, an employee engagement/benefits platform, and a forum to bring together industry and educators will be put in place.
Pim van Baarsen, CEO of the Silverstone Technology Cluster, announces the new Skills initiative at the STC Innovation & Growth Conference.
