The engineering sector constantly needs to invest in upskilling, reskilling and ‘new-skilling’ its workforce. That is nothing new – but in light of ‘net zero’ targets and the electric revolution, there are some major changes to be made, and the time to start is now.

With the drive towards net zero, growth in data-driven manufacturing, and increases in the use of robotics, automation and electrification, the sector has to manage two key factors: the scale of change, and the pace of change.

We are trying to create a huge shift in engineering skillsets in a relatively short space of time, and this cannot be done in a single push. Greater and continual investment in skills will allow the sector to respond much more rapidly – and proactively – to changes, rather than waiting until they cannot be ignored.

We know that the technologies involved in net zero and the electric revolution will continue to evolve over the coming years. For industry to remain responsive, an agile approach and ongoing investment in skills will be critical.

The education challenge

Keeping up with fast-paced technological, environmental, and societal changes is a huge challenge. The education sector needs to become much more responsive to the rapidly changing needs of the industry, and to take a more proactive stance to address future skills, rather than just addressing the skills needed now. This challenge is being met head on by providers who are moving to enable skills provision for the sector.

Professional and accrediting organisations also need to become more responsive and proactive, adapting to support the needs of their membership.

The National Electrification Skills Framework provides a clear blueprint for a coordinated, national effort to address skill needs and create opportunities in electrification. This is a clear skills framework that shows progression opportunities and ‘access points’ for staff, providing alignment against a common curriculum that will ensure a consistently high-quality approach to the delivery of education and training. The skills framework also views electrification in a sector agnostic manner, which enables a wider range of needs to be met through the development of generic training.

Apprenticeships play a valuable role, but they need to be more flexible in order to ensure that they are still relevant at the end of the programme when the needs of businesses and the jobs they require may have already shifted – particularly in those industries experiencing the most rapid change, such as automotive and battery manufacturing.

Education providers need to continue to work in partnership with businesses to ensure that education programmes meet the needs of the sectors now, but also five years from now. Making education and training available in smaller chunks, over a longer period of time, would fully realise lifelong learning and help people to adapt.

Addressing national skills gaps

WMG is a leader in bridging the gap between academia and industry, driving innovation in science, technology, engineering and skills, and working closely with a range of awarding organisations and professional bodies to help them to adapt as rapidly as possible.

The new WMG Skills Centre, launched in January 2022, aims to bring all WMG’s professional and continued development courses under one roof. It continues to offer industry-leading short courses like The Battery School plus a range of new courses addressing national skills gaps in digital manufacturing, energy systems, intelligent vehicles and manufacturing. The centre will offer an ever-changing and growing range of courses to meet current and future industry and business needs, such as digital manufacturing, supply chain and logistics, clean transport and electrification, and advanced manufacturing techniques.

What can we expect next?

Constant change is the watchword. Nothing will stay the same and so the way we view the importance of skills, and how courses are designed and delivered, must change in order to address skills shortages effectively. The National Electrification Skills Framework laid out a blueprint for a collaborative approach that can be rolled out across a range of different engineering areas, such as mining, other areas of manufacturing and civil engineering, which will allow for a much higher skilled and mobile workforce to adapt and flex to future needs.

Find out more about The National Electrification Skills Framework and how you can get involved in the forum here.

Find out more about WMG’s new range of short courses at the WMG Skills Centre here.

Article originally featured in Institution of Mechanical Engineers magazine here.