National Grid is hoping to switch young people in Birmingham on to a career in engineering after identifying a major skills shortage which needs to be filled by 2020.
The company, the UK’s largest utility, has identified a gap of nearly 1,000 engineers needed by by the end of the next decade. Despite running successful graduate and apprentice schemes, it’s still predicting a shortfall in numbers.
Research published today by the company has shown that young people are deterred from following engineering careers by negative perceptions of the job. The report “Engineering Our Future” shows that people view engineering jobs as menial and blue collar, seeing engineers as people in overalls who fix things, rather than professionals with the ability to design complex processes and run highly technical operations.
Steve Holliday, chief executive of National Grid said: “This report makes extremely worrying reading for me. Engineers are at the heart of our business. Our current level of “growing our own” through graduate and apprentices schemes will just not fill this gap. We need a bigger pool of talented young engineers – not a shrinking one.
“In common with many engineering-based industries nearly one third of our existing workforce can retire between now and 2020. We will be in a very competitive market trying to find the right people - hence the urgent need for us to raise and enhance the profile of engineering.
“We have to turn round these negative perceptions about engineering and get young people to see it as an important, rewarding and secure career. The challenge of rebuilding the gas and electricity networks to handle renewable energy is facing us now and we need people who can design, plan and operate these systems. “
Many young school and college leavers and university graduates from the Midlands are currently pursuing rewarding careers with National Grid and a number of these have now spoken out to try to encourage their peers to follow in their footsteps.
Midlands-based graduate engineer Dan Anderson (see case study below) believes engineers are highly qualified people with careers that offer endless opportunities. He said: "My first big project with National Grid was to decommission four gas holder sites including two of the largest holders in Europe. Let's face it, there aren't many professions where you can boast that you've decommissioned major structures that have dominated the West Midlands skyline for generations."
This perception of the industry is not shared by most people. National Grid’s research shows that only 6 of out 10 young people could name a recent engineering achievement and parents and teachers were unsure about where engineers work and how to get into engineering. There was also low appreciation of the contribution that engineering makes to society making it almost “an invisible industry”. And for every 10 boys who would consider a career in engineering, there was only one girl.
Steve Holliday said: “This report has prompted a major review of our education and skills policy. We have to begin to inspire children at a younger age to about the possibilities of what science and engineering can do and then keep engaged until they are at the point of thinking about their future careers.”
For more information on career opportunities for school, college and university leavers, go to www.nationalgrid.com and click on careers.
For details of the report go to: http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Media+Centre/PressReleases/Documents/EngineeringOurFutureReport.htm
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For further media information only, contact Jane Taylor, National Grid Media Relations, on 0121 333 2640
Cast Studies:
Sally Nicholson - Graduate engineer, Warwick
Warwick-based graduate engineer Sally Nicholson has spent much of the last six months keeping her eye on the television. But for Sally, it’s all in a days work.
Sally works in energy forecasting and it’s part of her job to ensure there is enough electricity available to meet the country’s requirements at all times of the day and night.
"There is a phenomenon we call TV pick-up," she explained. "This is a massive surge in demand for power when millions of people leave their television sets at the end of a programme and switch on kettles or lights. It can cause a sudden increase in demand of up to 10% and we have to be ready for it. To do that, we have to know when the popular programmes are on and what time they finish.
"In this country, the electricity supply is so reliable that we just take it for granted. Most people have no idea what goes on behind the scenes and I’ve found they are really interested in this sort of detail.
"I’m very proud of the job I do. It’s varied and challenging and I have a real feeling that I’m doing something worthwhile."
Sally joined National Grid a year ago after graduating from Newcastle University with a degree in mechanical engineering.
"Engineering was an obvious career choice for me. My father is an engineer, and as a child I used to spend hours with him in his workshop. At school my favourite subjects were science and maths so I suppose it was inevitable I moved into engineering.
"Being a woman has made no difference to my job and that’s how I like it. I don’t want to be treated any differently to anyone else. I’d encourage any woman to consider a career in engineering as there’s so much opportunity and you get a real sense that you’re contributing something important to society."
Dan Anderson - Process Support Officer, Birmingham
According to Birmingham-based process support officer Dan Anderson, most people think an engineer wears overalls and holds a spanner.
"But nothing could be further from the truth," he insists. "An engineer is a highly-qualified person who could be working on anything from developing a new computer processor to working out how to reduce the aerodynamic drag on Formula 1 cars. This presents endless opportunities for people taking up a career in engineering.
"I came into engineering because I've always been interested in finding solutions to problems. Engineering is all about using science and maths to solve many of the problems we face so the chance to be involved in work that helps society made it a natural choice for me. In my current job I'm responsible for gas pressure control and storage which means making sure the people of Birmingham have a safe and reliable gas supply to their homes. It’s my job to make sure equipment is maintained and gas pressures are correct so they don’t have to think about it."
During his Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering Dan worked at Land Rover developing parts for a new vehicle chassis. After graduating he joined the National Grid Graduate development programme.
"The best thing about the work is the variety. One day I can be handling technical problems, the next I'm dealing with people or managing costs. My first job after joining National Grid was to help develop a new overflow system for gas holders. After that I was making modifications to pylons on the country's high voltage electricity system.
"When I moved to my current job working on the gas distribution network in the West Midlands, my first big project was to decommission four gas holder sites in the region. This project involved developing procedures for the work on site, managing and directing the field force, arranging supplies and managing costs while all the time being responsible for everyone’s safety. The project was made all the more interesting as one of the sites was James Bridge in Walsall where the holders are just 12 metres from the M6 and another in Washwood Heath in Birmingham where the holders are two of the biggest in Europe, the equivalent in volume to 3000 double decker buses.
"My job is demanding but very rewarding. And let's face it, there aren't many professions where you can boast that you've developed something that is now in mass production for markets around the world and decommissioned major structures that have dominated the West Midlands skyline for generations."