Engineering grads deterred from industry jobs

Posted on 27 Jul 2015 by Victoria Fitzgerald

A new report published today by the Royal Academy of Engineering shows that fewer than half of engineering graduates go into professional engineering jobs.

The research in ‘Pathways to Success in Engineering Degrees and Careers‘ also shows that students who study engineering at post-1992 universities (former polytechnics) are just as likely to get professional engineering jobs as those from the Russell Group (which represents the 24 leading UK universities) and other pre-1992 universities.

In some cases, post-1992 students are, in fact, more likely to take up good engineering jobs.

3 Sheffield Engineering Leadership Academy
Engineering students lack the visible role models from industry to pursue an engineering career.

The report also shows the many different prior qualifications taken by students who go on to study engineering and highlights that students do go on to achieve good degrees, even if they did not do well in A levels in maths and physics.

The publication of the report coincides with the launch of a new project at the Royal Academy of Engineering, which is working with major UK employers to target women, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students and other under-represented students across a range of universities from which they would not usually recruit.

The HE Engineering Engagement Programme is being delivered as part of the Academy’s diversity programme.

Dr Rhys Morgan of the Royal Academy commented: “Part of the issue with graduates not choosing to go into engineering is because of a lack of visibility of employers on campus, while at the same time a range of other businesses from finance, retail and many other sectors will be providing attractive offers.

“We need to work harder to show engineering students the exciting career opportunities on offer to them if they take up careers in the subject they chose.”