A new campaign will launch in 2018 to encourage more young people across the country to consider possible careers in engineering.
The Year of Engineering scheme will kick off in January 2018 and will offer one million direct experiences of engineering to young people, with the aim of inspiring the next generation of engineers and tackling a major skills gap affecting the UK.
Partners such as Siemens, the Science Museum Group, Ocado, Usborne, BAE Systems and Crossrail are among hundreds of partners to have already pledged their support, with organisations to work with the government to deliver a year of nationwide school visits, exhibitions, open-door events and other initiatives.
Examples include a £1 million investment from Shell in the interactive Tomorrow's Engineers Energy Quest programme for schoolchildren, the publication of a children’s book on engineering from Usborne, and behind-the-scenes tours for families.
Additionally, the role that individuals can play will be highlighted, with parents encouraged to help their children with their maths homework or enrol them in a coding club, while current engineers from all backgrounds have been called upon to share their experiences and advice in schools or via social media.
The UK currently faces an estimated shortfall of 20,000 engineering graduates a year, with half of companies in the sector saying this is impacting their productivity and growth. At present, the engineering workforce is 91 per cent male and 94 per cent white, suggesting greater diversity could help to address this problem.
Education minister Anne Milton said: "I want to see young people from all backgrounds have the opportunity to pursue rewarding careers and jobs in engineering, whether they choose an academic or technical route. Through the Year of Engineering, we will work with businesses to inspire the next generation of world-class engineers."