The Institution of Engineering and Technology and ITN Productions have worked in partnership to launch Year of Engineering, a news and current affairs style programme designed to celebrate engineering and inspire young people about the possibilities of an engineering career.
This year has been the Year of Engineering in which government and industry set out to champion the industry and demonstrate its importance to everyday life. The hour-long programme combines a series of interviews, reports, case studies and sponsored profiles from organisations including GSK, The Royal Navy, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Thales Group. In one segment the NM Group demonstrates how it uses laser sensing to monitor the condition of overhead electricity power lines from the air.
Presented by national newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky, Year of Engineering aims to demonstrate the full range of exciting career opportunities available in engineering in leading organisations globally.
The IET says a career in engineering attracts people of the highest calibre, yet there remain widespread misconceptions about engineering careers among young people and their parents. Year of Engineering highlights the growing need for addressing these misconceptions, narrowing the industry skills gap, promoting apprenticeships and widening diversity in the workplace.
In an interview for the programme transport minister and minister for the Year of Engineering Nusrat Ghani, and David Lakin, IET head of education, discuss the objectives of the Year of Engineering and explore what needs to be done to develop more STEM programmes in schools and to encourage more diversity in the profession.
Year of Engineering can be viewed online here: www.theiet.org/itn