OPINION OPINION

OPINION ENGINEERING SKILLS Building a world that is fairer, more just, and will help us better meet the Sustainable Development Goals is TO BETTER MEET something that we need a diverse engineering workforce to take on board

SOCIETY’S NEEDS example, is more likely to have the desired such as the apparently uncontroversial engineers who are increasingly setting the result. Tackling the climate emergency, specification of a ducting material in a new agendas for a different and more sustainable accessible healthcare and the environment building, a decision usually made without way of living, as well as reimagining a world are big motivations for young people, any knowledge or reference to how this that pays equal attention to economic, especially when the challenge is to increase choice of material might negatively and social and environmental impact to create diversity and attract students from groups disproportionately affect those who bear the solutions with social value, and who are able that are under-represented in engineering. brunt of toxic chemical production. to communicate these ideas effectively. So, it’s to our advantage to present Many of us are becoming more aware Engineering and technology courses From climate change to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK – and indeed the world – is engineering as a ‘caring’ or ‘social good’ of how the outcomes of our engineering require more industrial input, more dealing with some of the most complex challenges it has ever faced. Engineers have profession, one directly associated with endeavours have implications for social knowledge of social science, and real solving problems and making people’s lives justice. Building a world that is fairer, project examples from around the world for a major role in addressing these challenges, so are needed now more than ever. better. more just, and will help us better meet students to address. Government funding While the numbers of young people choosing to study engineering and technology The outcomes-based argument is equally the Sustainable Development Goals akin to that announced in June 2020 for AI valid for encouraging working engineers is something that we need a diverse and data science courses would facilitate subjects are promising, Dawn Bonfield MBE and Professor Bashir Al-Hashimi CBE to understand the need for diversity in our engineering workforce to take on board. this transition. Changes to accreditation, FREng believe that a change in the engineering education curriculum will help build profession. Looking more closely at what To support this, and to make the most of through the ambitious Graduate Attributes we produce as engineers, and whether young people’s motivation, our engineering and Professional Competency Framework the skills for a sustainable and inclusive future. it is truly accessible and equitable for all education must change. We need university being developed by the International people and all parts of our society, forces courses that inspire thinking and creativity, Engineering Alliance for example, are us to realise that in the past we have not translating ideas through engineering already taking us in this direction. It is paid enough attention to the needs of design to innovation that benefits heartening to see that some of the UK’s There is good news in the rise in the computer science fared less well, with the others when producing our engineering humankind and the planet. And it will not be own accreditation frameworks are also number of young people seeking to study gap falling from 6.2 to 1 in 2011, to 5.7 to solutions. This has been shown all too clearly sufficient to simply tweak existing curricula making the necessary changes to ensure engineering. Those working in engineering, 1 in 2020. with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to focus on engineering solutions to address that our future engineers can fulfil their and in engineering higher education in In this positive context, the skills that and the Grenfell fire, for example, where an environmental crisis. To address the role as creators of a more sustainable and particular, will have been buoyed by the engineers and technologists acquire poorer communities have been made more 21st century’s biggest challenges, we need inclusive economy. recent data on admissions and acceptances to shape the future have never been vulnerable by inadequacies in our built from the University and Colleges Admissions more important. The UN’s Sustainable environment. BIOGRAPHIES Service (UCAS). This showed a significant Development Goals, global aims to achieve There are many other examples of Dawn Bonfield MBE is the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Chapter author of the increase over the past decade in students a better and more sustainable future for all, how our approach to engineering and UNESCO Engineering Report, published in March 2021. She is a Royal Academy of Dawn Bonfield MBE Professor Bashir Al-Hashimi CBE FREng applying for technology-based degrees. The are now well and truly established as key technology builds bias into our work. It has Engineering Visiting Professor at Aston University and a Royal Society Entrepreneur intake in engineering subjects rose from drivers for future development. The race to never been more important to address this in Residence at King’s College London. She is a UK representative of the World 20,000 to 30,000, and from 26,000 to 31,500 achieve the UK government’s target of net- challenge as we develop new disruptive Federation of Engineering Organisations, and Past President of the Women’s in computer science courses*. Acceptances zero carbon emissions by 2050 is another digital systems based on the use of data, AI Engineering Society. to artificial intelligence (AI) courses have great way of focusing minds and actions. and machine learning where built in, and in Professor Bashir Al-Hashimi CBE FREng is Executive Dean of the Faculty of Natural, increased by 400%, although actual numbers This outcomes-driven narrative may many cases undetectable, biases will persist Mathematical & Engineering Sciences at King’s College London. He has worked still only stand at 355 in total in 2020. And be what is required to attract even more for years. However, these are the more globally on research innovation into energy-efficient and reliable computing systems. there is evidence too that the gender gap young people into careers in engineering obvious examples that show the unintended is closing. The ratio of UK male to female and technology. Shifting the attention consequences of some of our engineering He has received numerous awards for his research including the IET Faraday Medal acceptances in engineering fell from 8.2 from ‘becoming an engineer’ to addressing solutions. The impacts of our decisions in 2020. to 1 in 2011 to 5.0 to 1 in 2020, although climate change or global poverty, for are harder to spot in other examples, *www.ucas.com/corporate/news-and-key-documents/news/students-turn-technology-university-choices

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