Can you help plug the UK engineering skills gap?

Institute of Quarrying supporting University of Derby in Masters degree engineering initiatives

ACCORDING to ‘The State of Engineering UK, 2014’, the UK will need around 87,000 graduate-level engineers per year between 2012 and 2022. Last year the UK was 36,000 short of this figure.

The Institute of Quarrying is pleased, therefore, to be supporting the University of Derby in its exciting new engineering initiatives for 2014. The projects will make a direct contribution to your business and enable you to be involved in the recruitment and training of a potential new employee.

Stemming from the University securing almost £600,000 from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the project will assist towards plugging the UK skills gap in vital engineering services through Postgraduate Support Scheme (PSS) funding.

Providing a unique opportunity for the university and employers to work together, the programme is tailored to an employer’s needs, solving technical problems important to the business, focusing on specific projects and commissioning bespoke research.

Two programmes are on offer:

• MSc Innovative Engineering Solutions – A full-time year-long programme following an initial study period at the University, students undertake a six-month paid work placement and research project with an employer. The placement provides an opportunity for you to test a graduate’s ability with minimal financial commitment.
• MSc Professional Engineering (online) – Designed for employers looking to support the development of their employees. The package has been developed with the Engineering Council as part of the Engineering Gateway Programme. It is comprised of part-time study based online and within the workplace.

Experienced managers within participating companies will also have the opportunity to undertake free training, certifying them as workplace mentors, providing both skill development and assisting them in playing an active role in the students’ learning.

For further information contact Julian Smallshaw at the Institute of Quarrying on tel: 07870 737645.