The MorePeople Engineering team has grown, now with 4 members working exclusively on engineering roles in the food, fresh produce, agriculture, horticulture and industrial industries.
With the clear need for more engineers within companies and with the high competition with engineering jobs, Austin reached out to his network to ask, how are companies managing the shortage of engineers in the workplace? Here are the results…
Relying on contractors – 44%
Working extra hours – 38%
Training up new engineers – 19%
It’s concerning to see the least common option being training new engineers. The team have been having lots of conversations with people around the lack of apprentices and new people getting into engineering. It’s something TheEngineer.co.uk have been covering, “with engineering and manufacturing apprenticeship achievement rates falling by over 3% to 58% in 2021/22, and the government’s target for apprenticeship achievement rates set at 67%, the data is going in the wrong direction”
Engineers “are essential to the rapid development and implementation of technology solutions to the climate emergency and to driving growth and prosperity across the economy. So why does the UK still not have enough of them? It’s because we’re failing to rethink and reframe what it means to be an engineer nowadays and many of the structures and processes that are in place to attract, train, retain and reskill our engineers are not fit for purpose and haven’t been for some time... We need to rethink what an engineer is in the 21st century and crucially, review and transform how we inspire, educate, and develop more engineering talent in the coming years. We need to frame and articulate the value of and, the important – and changing – role that engineers and technicians play in our modern world.”
So, how can we do this? In our job adverts and interview processes we can;
Emphasise creativity
Break the stereotype of engineers as purely analytical and technical – highlight the creativity involved in engineering – the ability to innovate, design and solve complex problems. Engineers are like modern day inventors – constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible!
Highlight the diversity of roles
Many people have a narrow view of engineering, associating it only with traditional fields like civil or mechanical engineering – showcase your business and what your engineering department can offer!
Focus on Impact
Food and agricultural businesses are helping feed the world, engineers are crucial elements of this.
Speak to our Engineering team today and we can get searching for the right engineering team for your business, we’ve built up a strong network of talent and spend our days speaking to people looking for their next opportunity.
Continue reading here articles from TheEngineer.co.uk
Why are apprenticeship achievement rates falling and what can be done about it?
