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Demand for engineers is at an all-time high

Published:  13 March, 2015

Scotland will need an additional 147,300 engineers from 2012 – 2022 according to a new report, which highlights that the demand for engineers is at an all time high and that these new roles could generate an additional £1.7 billion per year for the Scottish economy.

The report findings were revealed at an Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) event at the Scottish Parliament hosted by Stewart Maxwell MSP and with a keynote speech from Annabelle Ewing MSP, Minister for Youth and Women’s Employment, to launch the Engineering UK 2015 The State of Engineering report, produced by EngineeringUK.

The report shows that turnover from Scottish engineering enterprises is £113.5 billion, which represents 30.4% of total turnover for all Scottish enterprises. But, companies in Scotland will need a further 147,300 new engineers between 2012 and 2022.

Nigel Fine, IET Chief Executive, who outlined the report findings at the event, said: “The report shows that Scotland – and Britain – is great at engineering. In fact, there has never been a better time to be an engineer: demand that far outstrips supply, rising salaries and fantastic career prospects are typical characteristics of the engineering profession today.

“Ensuring a pipeline of future engineering talent depends on stronger collaboration between employers and the educational system. We need to bridge the gap between expectations and achievement, in addition to up-skilling the existing workforce to meet demand.

“Above all, we need to take action now – before it is too late. Otherwise we could find ourselves sleepwalking into a deepening skills crisis from which we may struggle to recover.”

The report highlights the need for careers inspiration for all 11-14 year olds that includes at least one engineering experience with an employer. It also emphasises the need of support for teachers and careers advisors so they understand the range of opportunities available in engineering.