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Less than half of engineering graduates go into engineering

28th July 2015

Siobhan O'Gorman

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A report published by the Royal Academy of Engineering shows that fewer than half of engineering graduates go into professional engineering jobs. The research in Pathways to success in engineering degrees and careers also shows that students who study engineering at post-1992 universities are just as likely to get professional engineering jobs as those from Russell Group and other pre-1992 universities. In some cases, post-1992 students are, in fact, more likely to take up good engineering jobs.

The report also shows the many different prior qualifications taken by students who go on to study engineering and highlights that students do go on to achieve good degrees in engineering, even if they did not do well in A levels in maths and physics.

The publication of the report coincides with the launch of a new project at the Royal Academy of Engineering, which is working with major UK engineering employers to target women, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students and other under-represented students across a range of universities from which they would not usually recruit. The HE Engineering Engagement Programme is being delivered as part of the Academy's diversity programme.

Dr Rhys Morgan, Director of Engineering and Education, says: “Part of the issue with engineering graduates not choosing to go into engineering is because of a lack of visibility of employers on campus, while at the same time a range of other businesses from finance, retail and many other sectors will be providing attractive offers. We need to work harder to show engineering students the exciting career opportunities on offer to them if they take up careers in the subject they chose”.