Industry comments on Autumn Statement

In advance of the Statement, Chris Hayhurst, European Consulting Director, MathWorks commented:

“STEM industries are critical to driving growth in the UK economy and yet skills in these subjects are in desperately short supply. Key to meeting the growing demand is inspiring the next generation of engineers, scientists and mathematicians.”

“It’s time to go right back to the beginning, and enable young children to get hands-on so they can see that computing, maths and physics, for example, are very creative as well as technical. We need to engage them in fun applications of the subject to capture their imagination. These early experiences are really important as they feed into the decisions children make about their own study paths.”

“Parents, teachers and those in industry are all responsible for inspiring the next generation. Research shows a person’s early cultural references and values affect their attitudes to a subject. If we provide positive experiences and forge deeper connections, we can change attitudes towards STEM in the long term.”

In response to the Statement, Dr Colin Brown, Director of Engineering, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, commented: 

“Today’s announcement of additional spending for transport, technology, energy and infrastructure, leaves one crucial part of the puzzle out: skills. All this funding, without the skilled people to deliver these projects, is like funding an empty shed. Government wants home-grown talent to deliver Research & Development, driverless cars and new energy infrastructure, but we just don’t have the sufficient engineers to deliver this. We have a shortage of key skills today and no clear plan on how to develop a skills pipeline for tomorrow. Government must face facts and outline a clear strategy to ensure the UK has the skills it needs for the economy to thrive.

“Increasing the uptake of Ultra Low Emission Vehicles play a huge role in the UK’s future but we must ensure it’s part of an integrated transport strategy in the UK so today’s announcement for continued support to these initiative are welcomed. Major infrastructure projects are being developed in isolation which still focus on how journeys are made, and not on the ‘why’ or ‘when’.

“We suggest that Government departments collaboratively develop a strategy to incentivise and support an integrated approach that would better serve passengers, providing a resilient infrastructure which is cost effective, efficient and reliable encouraging modal shift towards modes that better protect the environment.

“The Institution also believes that that while the new Shale Wealth Fund is potentially good news for local areas near new shale developments, much more needs to be done to inform the public that hydraulic fracturing (fracking) can be developed safely. Fracking is not the silver-bullet solution to meeting our future energy needs but has the potential to contribute to securing gas supplies and creating much-needed highly skilled jobs in regions such as Lancashire and Yorkshire. Furthermore, the £2bn commitment to research and development provides opportunities for applied engineering projects that support low emission technologies and reduces our potential impact on climate change as well as looks at projects to support skills development and the regeneration of the regions.”