This year, Victoria Prentis, MP for North Oxfordshire is supporting a national campaign to get more young people into engineering, joining government and industry in a united effort to tackle a major skills gap.
The Year of Engineering, which launched on Monday 15 January, will see the Government and MPs work with industry partners to raise the profile of engineering among young people aged 7-16, their parents and teachers. The initiative will include offering direct experiences of engineering to young people from all backgrounds – from behind the scenes tours and family days out, to school visits and the chance to meet engineering role models.
Victoria will be supporting the campaign in North Oxfordshire by reaching out to schools in her constituency, including the Bicester Technology Studio and Banbury Space Studio, who both specialise in a new approach to learning including engineering and technology.
Before Christmas, she joined more than 30 MPs at a Parliamentary reception. The event marked the publication of the Institution for Engineering and Technology’s annual Skills Survey report – which looks at the skills challenges faced by engineering and technology employers in the UK.
The commitment comes as the UK faces an estimated shortfall of 20,000 engineering graduates a year. Half of companies in the sector say the shortage is having a significant impact on productivity and growth. By bringing young people from all backgrounds face to face with engineering experiences and role models, the campaign aims to showcase the creativity and innovation of engineering careers and widen the pool of young people considering the profession.
More than 1000 partners have signed up to support the Year of Engineering, including Siemens, the Science Museum Group, Ocado, Usborne, BAE Systems and Crossrail. Teaming up with partners from many different sectors, the Government will deliver a year of UK-wide school visits, exhibitions and open doors events – all aimed at encouraging young people and their parents to take a closer look at engineering.
Victoria commented: “In North Oxfordshire we are particularly lucky to have two schools dedicated to engineering and technology. They provide a unique opportunity for young people in the area. I am looking forward to doing what I can to work with both pupils and businesses over the coming months as part of the Year of Engineering. It is important that we encourage and inspire young people to turn to the engineering sector as we move forward and continue to grow as a country.”
To find out more, visit the Year of Engineering partner website or follow the campaign on Twitter.