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lasting legacy was to build the UK’s cent are from black and minority strategy over the past year and all 38
gas distribution network and unite the ethnic backgrounds. Led by the organisations representing
gas industry, making domestic gas a Academy, the profession is working professional engineers in the UK have
cheap and convenient fuel source for hard to change this. IGEM is a key worked together to publish a
millions of people,” she said. partner in the drive towards real and comprehensive response to the
Aside from his work at the helm of lasting culture change – we are government’s early proposals.
British Gas, Sir Denis devoted much grateful for your support and applaud “Our key concerns were around
of his time post-retirement to your work in this area,” she said. engineering skills and diversity –
engineering education and industrial Dame Ann also spoke about the particularly boosting digital skills – as
policy. As a result, it was he who important role the education well as increasing funding for research
provided the inspiration for the establishment has to play in inspiring and development and improving
Academy’s Rooke Award for the future generations to seek rewarding energy efficiency,” she said.
public promotion of engineering. careers in engineering. But, she added, “A modern industrial strategy
Dame Ann said: “Innovation does not we mustn’t forget the practical roots should provide a framework to align
spring from nowhere. Engineers must of engineering. different parts of government and
be encouraged, nurtured and inspired. “Many of the Victorians who drove particularly to lay out a consistent
Sir Denis Rooke recognised that, and I the industrial revolution had one key long-term strategy to give industry
don’t think anyone here would dispute difference from many of today’s the confidence to invest.
it. Education is the key to progress in students,” she said. “They were “Inward investment will help to drive
any economy. However, we still have a apprentices first and later became productivity growth, but in order to
long way to go in ensuring that all engineers – they followed a vocation.” attract it we will need to be competitive
young people have access to the right Dame Ann explained how the new on energy costs and infrastructure –
education and skills for them. Institute for Apprenticeships and as well as having a strong science
“Currently, not enough young people Technical Education is getting to grips base and highly skilled people.”
are given the opportunity to with the reform of post-16 vocational Affordable, secure and clean energy
understand what engineers actually do education in England. Lord Sainsbury’s is identified as one of the four Grand
and to explore the breadth of modern review of technical and professional Challenges of the Industrial Strategy
engineering in a way that enables them education has recommended the and an area in which government is
to make informed career choices.” introduction of a new system of welcoming ideas it can fund.
Dame Ann went on to explain the two-year T-levels to create a simplified Lower emissions from energy has
mission of This is Engineering, a digital progression pathway at age 16. been one of the UK’s success stories,
communication campaign from The “These will incorporate technical said Dame Anne.
Royal Academy of Engineering, made skills, plus English and maths at “The UK has broken the historic
in collaboration with EngineeringUK, GCSE level and a relevant three- correlation between GDP and
highlighting engineering careers in month work experience placement. emissions. Indeed, since 1990 we have
new and unexpected ways. This gives students more options, cut emissions by 42 per cent while
She said: “Our message to young and can lead to technician or growing our economy by over 60 per
people, through This is Engineering, is engineering roles; these same core cent. This has, of course, largely been
that engineering is behind a lot of skills are needed at all levels in the due to shifting our power generation
the things they love in everyday life workplace,” Dame Ann explained. to gas. Well done to IGEM!”
and popular culture, and can “The UK government’s plans for However, there is still much work to
therefore offer them a career doing technical education are a big step in the do. The UK has off-shored production
something they love.” right direction, but much work is still of many of the energy intensive things
“So far, the campaign has been well needed to ensure that they result in the we use, said Dame Ann. Imported
received, with the films being watched step change in skills enhancement that products and energy intensive
over four million times by young we need in the UK,” she added. materials like steel and aluminium are
people in the first month,” she added. Dame Ann went on to describe often being produced in countries
“We hope to continue this success, how, over the last decade, successive relying on coal power generation with
and I would encourage you to share governments have become interested poor carbon footprints.
the content yourselves to enable in the concept of a modern industrial “The Academy has long argued that
more young people to explore a strategy. A well-developed strategy the UK’s future energy system
breadth of engineering they may not can set a framework through which requires a whole systems approach,
have known existed.” business and government can partner incorporating electricity, heat and
Dame Ann explained how the UK to promote growth and jobs, she said. transport. The challenge of meeting
government shares the concerns about Such an approach has become even the Climate Change Act target of 80
engineering skills and recognises the more important following the per cent greenhouse gas reductions
need to encourage more young people referendum vote in 2016 to leave the by 2050 is so great that significant
to join the profession, designating 2018 European Union. The current innovation is needed. There is no
as The Year of Engineering. One goal government has adopted industrial shortage of ideas and individual
central to the campaign is the strategy with real enthusiasm, even technologies but what is needed is
development of a diverse and inclusive incorporating it into the name of the system level demonstrations of how
profession for all. Department for Business, Energy and these can be integrated and scaled up
“Fewer than 10 per cent of UK Industrial Strategy. The government into a secure, resilient, low carbon and
engineers are women and only six per has consulted extensively on industrial affordable system.” ■

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