Running all this year, the initiative will involve ministers across government departments as well as industry experts and hundreds of businesses.
The core aim is to highlight the “scale of opportunity that careers in the industry hold” and therefore encourage students to consider engineering pathways.
Engineering is one of the UK’s most productive sectors, but the government estimates that there is a 20,000 shortfall in engineering graduates every year.
There is also a huge lack of diversity in the sector, with the engineering workforce currently 91 per male and 94 per cent White.
The campaign is aiming to deliver one million “inspiring experiences of engineering” for young people, parents and teachers.
Confirmed activities and projects will include:
- A Siemens See Women roadshow aimed at inspiring women, including more Black, Asian and minority ethnic girls, into pursuing STEM careers.
- Interactive exhibitions at the Science Museum and London Transport Museum.
- Schools will get the chance to go behind the scenes at Airbus to meet engineers working on the Mars Rover
- There will be opportunities via the Dyson Institute, the James Dyson Foundation and the James Dyson Award for young people to apply engineering principles to projects that solve real-world problems
The campaign website also offers CPD resources, lesson plans, ideas and case studies of successful work going on in schools.
Skills minister, Anne Milton said: “I want to see everyone whatever their background, wherever they live to have a chance to get a rewarding career or job in engineering whether they come via a technical or academic route.
“The Year of Engineering gives us a great opportunity to work together with business to inspire a new generation of world class engineers. We want to build the science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills that we need for a growing economy.”
- For more information on the Year of Engineering, visit www.yearofengineering.gov.uk