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TRANSCRIPT
Department for Transport
Engineering research
Topline report
September 2016
Contents
• Background and objectives
• Key themes
• 1. Engineering is not salient as a career
• 2. Perceptions of engineering are narrow
• 3. The breadth of engineering is surprising
• 4. Making engineering inspiring
• 5. Making engineers aspirational
• 6. The role teachers can play
• Conclusions and key thoughts
Background and Objectives
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4
Research summary
Leeds
London
Birmingham
Methodology Number of sessions Location
Workshops with children Six North, West Midlands,
South East
In home depths with
families
Three North, West Midlands,
South East
Group discussions with
parents
Two North, South East
Group discussions with
teachers
One London
Key Objectives
• Understand key motivations and opinions about a future career (a desire to improve the
world, to see the world, to be creative, to make money etc).
• Rank in order of importance, the existing barriers to considering engineering as a career
• Understand the role parents/teachers/other influencers play in forming these opinions
• Inspire with different ways of thinking about engineering (inspiring role models, diversity
of roles, using innovative technologies, applying your own creativity etc). In order to
understand how to positively influence their attitudes
Research sessions took place between 18th August and
1st September 2016
Moderating, analysis and reporting by Keisha Herbert,
Lucy Banister and Lucy Foylan from The Nursery
Research and Planning
Manchester
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5
Sample details
All participants
• To be non-
rejectors of
engineering
as a future
career
• To be creative
& articulate
• Exclude
parents who
work in the
engineering
sector
• Children to be
starting either
Yr 5/ 6/ 7 in
September
(good spread
of ages 9-12)
Workshops with children:
• Children to go to a range of different schools
• Children to be recruited in same-sex friendship pairs
At least one child in 2 separate friendship pairs per group to have an interest in…
• Year 5 – Lego and/or Minecraft
• Year 6 – Lego and/or Minecraft, and / or D&T, science or tech subjects
• Year 7 – D&T, science or tech subjects
Discussion group with parents/teachers:
• Parents to children aged 8 - 12 (aim for a mix)
• Ideally teaching to years 5, 6, 7 (aim for a mix)
• Max. 2 per school
• At least 3 men and 3 women in each group
Discussion groups with parents:
• Parents in the groups to be parents to the children in the workshops
• 50:50 split of mums and dads
• Work in a range of professions
N.B Parent groups and children workshops to be conducted simultaneously
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6
Sample breakdown
Workshop Gender Parent SEG Year group Location
1 Girl BC1 Year 6 North
2 Boy BC1 Year 7 North
3 Boy C2D Year 6 West Midlands
4 Girl C2D Year 5 West Midlands
5 Boy BC1 Year 5 South East
6 Girl C2D Year 7 South East
Workshops with children:
Parent group discussions:
Group Gender Corresponding children workshop Location
1 Mix 6 (year 7 girl C2D) South East
2 Mix 2 (year 7 boy BC1) North
Parent/teacher discussion:
Group Gender Location
3 Mix London
Key themes
1.Engineering is not salient as a career
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Engineering is not front of mind for our audiences
When we discussed careers with parents and teachers and children we were surprised to see that engineering was not a career that emerged spontaneously
It was a career that most children were aware of but requires some explanation
Parents and teachers had positive perceptions
A good job
Well paid
• None of them would be anything but pleased if their children / pupils announced they wanted to be an engineer
But it was never something that came up spontaneously
• And hence parents less likely to think of engineering as a career they might direct their children towards
Engineering more salient for some of the secondary school teachers (and we did not speak to many!) because of the subjects they taught (geography, chemistry)
I know engineering is a good
profession, it’s kinda like
being an architect or
something but if I’m being
honest I always forget about it
because I don’t know many
engineers
Mum – Manchester
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You can only aspire to what you know, whether you’re
a child…
Children typically aspire to careers that they come into contact with regularly / perceive to be exciting
• Parents want their children to find something they will make them happy and fulfilled
• And tend to use their children’s interests as the start-point
1. What their families / family friends do (if they are the kind of careers that a child could understand)
• Sadly teachers who taught children in deprived areas commented that often their aspirations could be relatively low: eg working in McDonalds
• Or even illicit I want to be my like my brother, don’t know what he does but he always has lots of money
2. What they come across in school and through the healthcare system: dentist, doctor, nurse, vet (particularly girls), teacher, and also police and firefighters (media, school visits), lawyers (media)
3. What they are exposed to by the media: footballer, dancer, actor, singer, fashion designer, make-up artist,
My son is fascinated by
firefighters and it’s been
ever since he had some
come and visit his
school. Now all I hear is
‘when I grow up I want to
be a firefighter’ or
sometimes it’s
paramedic…saving
people’s lives
Mum - Leeds
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…or a parent
Parents claim not to push their children towards any specific career
• They say they want their children to be happy and fulfilled
• To choose something they will like doing and have a chance of being good at
But children are individuals and have their own specific interests
• So it is easy for parents to extrapolate from those and encourage children in the direction suggested by their interests
• Although if a child wants to be a footballer or a fashion designer they know that they will need to manage these aspirations carefully
And of course both parents and children end up being influenced by the careers they know about / highly salient
The conventional high status careers are those like medicine, the law, accountancy
All I want is Jess to be happy
and I would be happy with
whatever she wants to do.
She’s always been interested
in the dentist, she likes how
they count the teeth so we
suggested why not think
about becoming a dentist so
she’s currently thinking about
that.
Dad – London
12
What this means for communications
We feel that the biggest issue that engineering confronts is its lack of saliency
• For such a crucial job it lags far behind other professions
• Such as doctor, lawyer, accountant
And this low saliency is consistent across parents and teachers
• And therefore we feel society as a whole
We feel that as a career it would benefit from a sustained and consistent effort to raise awareness of what it is and how important it can be
• Children can’t aspire to a career they hear little about
• And parents / teachers less likely to encourage children in the direction of a career that is low saliency
This would suggest that there is an opportunity for a high profile broadly targeted campaign (like those seen for the armed services)
• Although we appreciate that that’s an ambitious task
2. Perceptions of engineering are narrow
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Engineers are felt to be born, not made….and tend to
be male
Strong feeling that engineers are born not made
• Parents felt that unless their child is actively pulling apart the radio then they probably would
not and could not be an engineer
• And that those kinds of children are invariably sons rather than daughters
No-one would want to stand in the way of their daughter being an engineer
• Indeed parents would be particularly proud of a daughter that broke into a male-dominated
profession
But the parents we spoke to often felt their daughters were not interested enough in ‘how things
worked’ or more interested in more conventional ‘feminine’ things
• Fashion, make-up etc
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Perception of an engineer broadly consistent across all
audiences
White middle aged man (always a man)
• Either in overalls or at a computer
Likes finding solutions to problems
• Usually transport-related!
• Fixing things
Not that keen to socialise, happier with things than
people
Limited understanding of the different types of engineers
He’s a man who likes to fix things
and he’s wearing overalls. I don’t
know why he’s a man, he just is
10 year old girl - Leeds
I’ve got Frank. Here it is - an
engineer for British Airways.
Plane-spotting, he likes plane-
spotting, stamp collecting, internet
clubs and quiet time. They hate
loud music and nightclubs and
they earn £60k
Mum, London
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Well paid and well qualified
Seen as a steady, secure career
• Engineers are to be respected, rather than aspired after
Universally seen as well paid
• Engineers could live comfortably and look after themselves
For which you would need to be well qualified
• Lots of studying
• Always for graduates
A profession for the few, rather than the many
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Perceptions of a ‘typical engineer’
Parents and teachers Children
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Broader than you think
Perceptions of engineers divided into two types
• More manual (esp when considered in the context of transport)
• Or more professional
And whilst parents and teachers were aware of different types of engineering
• Electrical, structural, mechanical
The breadth of the profession always had to be prompted
• And all targets surprised when we showed the stimulus at the broad range of different kinds of engineer that existed
Greater awareness of the breadth of the profession amongst secondary school teachers teaching relevant subjects
• But then focussed on more graduate-entry level opportunities
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More pathways to entry than perceived
Parents and teachers always saw engineering as a graduate profession
Tend not to think of apprenticeships as also being a pathway into engineering
• But on consideration makes sense
The potential attractions of apprenticeships in general was a point of discussion amongst the parents we spoke to
• Sense that many students leaving university with a degree
• But also with substantial debts
• And no proper job to go to
Making apprenticeships potentially more appealing
• Opportunity for engineering to communicate its breadth
• And the many pathways to entry
• Not just for the academic
I can see some kids who don’t quite
have the grades to get into more
academic professions getting into
this if they have the opportunity to
take the apprenticeship route
Teacher, London
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What this means for communications
Crucial for communications to show how many different kinds of people become engineers
• People who look like everyone else, women as well as men
• And people who don’t always wear glasses and have a normal social life
• Important for the women
And crucial to communicate the breadth of the profession
• For a wide range of people
• Not a narrow group of nerds
And that there are a range of entry-points
• Widening opportunities
3. Breadth of engineering is surprising
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Pen portraits challenged narrow view of engineering
Engineers perceived to be primarily practical and fix/build things such as transport or buildings
• Limited knowledge of other career types
• Or breadth of skillset required to be an engineer
Pen portraits were able to highlight the different types of engineers
• Which was surprising for all audiences
• And positively perceived
Pen portraits were also able to challenge who can be an engineer
• Men and women
• People from all backgrounds
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Pen Portraits
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Pen portraits offer a powerful way to connect
Pen portraits allow the audience to make an emotional connection with the
role
• Encouraged to put themselves in the position of the protagonist
• Opening up and helping them to explore a specific engineering role
Particularly important for girls to see women in these roles
• Especially more ‘feminine’ looking women
• In order to help them identify
• If you can’t see it, you can’t be it!
But the individuals need to look driven, interested and attractive
• May seem reductive but unlikely to want to identify with people who
are not looking their best
• And look able to communicate their passion for their job to others
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Female engineers challenged gender stereotypes
Girls were able to see an engineer as something they could aspire to be.
It encourages the thought that anyone can be an engineer
I’ve seen that there are
other female creators as
well as males, so I’ve kind
of changed my opinions on
engineers.
11 year old girl – London
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Aerospace engineering is fascinating
Children are fascinated by space
• Key figures such as Tim Peake has influenced the
appeal of space amongst boys and girls
Many children however only consider being an astronaut
when thinking about jobs linked to space
An aerospace engineer is both surprising and engaging for
children
• It feels more accessible than becoming an engineer
Furthermore building something that can go into
space is impressive
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Structural and maintenance engineering are not
instantly engaging
Traffic maintenance engineering was initially
unclear for children
However once explained it enabled children to
understand how the traffic system functioned
But… it didn’t feel as impressive as other
engineering roles
Interesting structures are engaging for them
Building something is easy for them to comprehend
• And fits with preconceptions of engineering
The Shard however is less well-known so doesn’t capture attention
• In the same way as some the engineering excellence examples
Shard and Roma would be more appealing for children if the engineering process behind the building was detailed to them
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Tech is strongly engaging and elevates perception of
engineering
Tech is not commonly associated with engineering
• Challenges stereotypes of engineers
• Especially for parents and children
• Once linked to relatable examples as e.g. building games/ iPhones etc. it feels credible for all
audiences
Children are digital natives and tech features heavily in their world
• Learning to code is common within schools from year 4
• And popular for both boys and girls
Linking engineering to tech instantly engaged children
• And made engineering feel both exciting and desirable
• A career path in a topic they are very familiar with and interested in
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Response to tech engineers
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Design and sound engineers were the most surprising
Design and music are seen as highly creative
Creativity was not spontaneously associated with engineering
• Design and sound mixing engineers were more surprising for all audiences
Engineering is commonly associated with STEM subjects by parents and teachers
• Not art or music
Helped to challenge perceptions of engineering
• Career pathways and skills needed to enter the industry
Expanded children’s understanding of engineering
• And awareness of career paths linked to art and music
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31
Nicolaus’ story is inspiring because of the human
element
Robotics is a highly engaging topic for all audiences
• Especially children
• It’s high tech, modern and future focused
The connection between robotics and engineering was easy to make
• Building/ fixing something
Children were inspired by the robot’s purpose
• To help with disaster relief
• Mattered a lot to this age group
This example positioned engineering to the children as a ‘softer’ and
caring profession
• And acted as a positive entry point for young girls in
particular
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Motorsports engineering does not engage girls
As expected motorsports engineering was
interesting for boys
• But it was difficult to engage girls even
after further explanation
Girls are more interested in car design than the
mechanics of cars
• Such as interesting body shapes and
doors
Motorsports engineering is thus a pen portrait which
could divide children
• And further cement the thought that
engineering is for men
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Some sectors raised questions for parents
Manufacturing and systems management were viewed with less enthusiasm
• Job seemed more humdrum
• No suggestion of contributing to something new and different
• Sense that these people may have been given the title ‘engineer’ to elevate their status (without perhaps fully deserving it…)
Construction (railways etc.) in these examples perceived as too low qualified to be aspirational
• Not something you necessarily aim for
• Dirty, badly paid, long hours and possibly dangerous
Some concerns around nuclear engineering were also raised
• Danger of working in close proximity to radioactive materials
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… and were less engaging for children
It would be fun being
outdoors on the tracks and
making stuff but it’s not as
exciting as making part of a
spacecraft or something like
that
10 year old boy -
Manchester
Does she just press lots of
buttons all day? How is
that engineering?
9 year old girl – Leeds
He doesn’t look like he
makes chocolate
bars…and don’t they have
robots to put the wrappers
on now.
10 year old boy –
Birmingham
35
What this means for communications
Breadth of engineering makes it appear more accessible
• Different types of engineering require varying different interests
Linking engineering to tech is essential
• Elevates perceptions of engineering
• Positioning it as an exciting, progressive and desirable industry
• Strongly engages children as well as parents and teachers
• Motivating for both boys and girls
Having a range of different people across types of engineering is vital
• So all audiences can see the range of people who could be an engineer
• Stereotypes can be challenged
• And both boys and girls are engaged
4. Making engineering inspiring
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Engineering is as important as architecture
The pivotal role that engineering has played in iconic structures is surprising but
inspiring for all audiences
• More usually seen as examples of impressive architecture
• Than impressive engineering
Need to find the right way in
• Not just a facts and figures
• But a question to stimulate thought
Have you ever wondered why a bridge stays up?
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Engineering excellence examples inspire
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Current and relatable examples instantly engaged
children
Children are highly engaged in the Olympics (sport), cars and films
• They are current, popular and feature heavily in their
worlds
Highlighting the engineering behind the examples is interesting for
children
• And an easy route into the world of engineering
Learning more detailed information about examples they are already
interested in is a bonus
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40
Prosthetic limb creation was the most inspiring
Prosthetic limb creation was highly engaging
Children were very familiar with prosthetic limbs
• School visits from Paralympic athletes
The association between engineering and social good was inspiring for children
• Humanised engineering
Helping others is something young children value highly
• Particularly young girls who were typically more nurturing than boys
• Felt like a positive way to engage young girls in engineering
Furthermore many linked prosthetic limb creation to robotics
• Positively engaging aspect of engineering for both boys and girls
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How things work…
Children are at their most inquisitive aged 9-12 years
• They are attempting to logically make sense of the world around them
Engineering excellence examples were most engaging for children when the process of construction was presented
• Deepened understanding of engineering
• And breadth of skills utilised by engineers at each stage of the process
Children were able to understand how engineering was used
• It was not always enough to simply show children an example of engineering excellence
This was particularly true for examples which didn’t initially engage
• E.g. London Eye, football stadiums, Channel Tunnel
• But the engineering process presented something new and exciting
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Tim Peake’s mission was familiar but still engaging
Astronauts and space are intriguing for children
• It’s an unknown world which encourages children to question why
Most were familiar with Tim Peake’s role as an astronaut
• And could give details of interesting facts about his latest mission
Primary school teachers mention vast use of Tim Peake content in lessons
There’s so much info and resources centred on his mission and the children find it fascinating
Didn’t perceive him to be an engineer
• However a focus on building/fixing the international space station is an easy way in to engineering
• Allowed it to feel more credible
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Strongly engaging once the process of construction
explained
Most children familiar with Channel Tunnel
• But little initial interest towards it
However once simple questions were answered
• E.g. why didn’t the tunnel fill with water?
• And the process was explained children found it fascinating
Understanding the design, creativity and testing processes that went into its construction was strongly engaging
The Channel Tunnel was also a motivating example of the significance of engineering in the world
• Changing the world, thinking big, being creative etc.
44
What this means for communications
Engineering excellence examples are inspiring for all audiences
• They highlight how pivotal engineering is within society
• And should be used to build saliency around engineering
Examples of engineering in areas where children are already engaged is an easy way in
Focusing on ‘how things work’ will engage children in a wide range of examples
• Even those that are not initially engaging
• And allow them to understand exactly what engineering involves (stages) and what it can produce
Events where children are able to see a piece of engineering in process would fascinate children
But… there is also an opportunity to bring everyday examples of engineering to the forefront
• Not just the big iconic buildings
5. Making engineers aspirational
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Qualities feel credible and aspirational
Qualities of engineering were aspirational
• Held in high regard by children and strongly encouraged in schools (primary school)
Qualities elevated perceptions of engineering
• Felt exciting, progressive and impactful
All of the qualities felt credible for engineering on reflection but not salient
However qualities felt even more credible once pivotal role of engineering and types of engineering had been presented
Examples of engineering excellence enhanced when parents and children made to think of the qualities held by the engineers who produced them
CURIOUS
INQUISITIVE
CREATIVE
FIND SOLUTIONS
TO PROBLEMS
BIG THINKERS
CHANGING THE
WORLD
WORK AS PART OF A TEAM
IMPROVING
PEOPLE’S LIVES
WELL PAID
USING YOUR
IMAGINATION
MAKE THINGS
47
Qualities mapping
CURIOUS
INQUISITIVE CREATIVE
FIND SOLUTIONS
TO PROBLEMS
BIG THINKERS
CHANGING THE
WORLD
WORK AS PART OF A TEAM
IMPROVING
PEOPLE’S LIVES WELL PAID
USING YOUR
IMAGINATION
MAKE THINGS
Front of
mind Not front of
mind
All qualities feel credible for engineering and are qualities valued by children and
promoted in school (primary)
It is therefore important to focus on qualities that are less front of mind in order to
challenge perceptions of engineering.
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Improving people’s lives vs changing the world
Improving peoples lives and changing the world were highly engaging qualities
• Both positionings elevated perceptions of engineering
Improving the world highly appealed to girls
• Humanised engineering for them and tapped into their more nurturing side
Boys however found the idea of changing the world strongly motivating
• Felt more impactful
When choosing which events/pen portraits most reflected these qualities both boys
and girls chose the prosthetic limb and robots
Opportunities to frame engineering in ways which engage both boys and girls is
essential
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Qualities helped children to picture themselves as an
engineer
If children perceived themselves to possess some of these qualities easier for them to see themselves as an
engineer. It created more of an emotional attachment to a career in engineering
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Well paid is an appealing quality for all audiences
Children are extremely money conscious
• Hear parents talking about money
• And prominence of salaries in the media e.g. footballers
Being well paid is important for children and something they openly admit
Furthermore parents hope their children will have comfortable lives
• Which is what well paid jobs offer
The perceptions of engineering being a rounded and well paid career is appealing for parents
• Means children will be financially comfortable and fulfilled
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IET film was not seen to capture the excitement and
energy of engineering
Film didn’t capture any of the excitement of engineering or display the qualities of creativity, problem-solving, imagination
• Not portrayed as the more rounded profession that the other stimulus suggested
Colours and tone are dark and reflective
• Sombre colour palate didn’t feel eye catching
Characters perceived as quite insular and solitary
• No dialogue
• Mostly thinking/working alone, girls in particular put off by this
• Felt quite inward looking
Feeling that it is unlikely to capture the imagination
• Didn’t feel inspiring
• Unlikely to draw attention unless parent or child already has a strong interest in engineering
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What this means for communications
The qualities of an engineer are familiar and aspirational for children
• Can make engineering more accessible and desirable for children
Positioning engineers as having a broader range of qualities and aptitudes is important
• Needs to be come through every message
Opportunities to frame engineering in different ways for both genders
• E.g. improving people’s lives vs. changing the world
6. The role teachers can play
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In primary schools it’s ‘jobs’
Primary schools do not offer ‘careers’ training as such
• But they talk about ‘jobs’ all the time
• And they want pupils to be aware of all the different jobs there are
out there and how you get into them
Like parents, teachers want their pupils to be exposed as many different
influences as possible and to find the interest that excites them / turns them
on
They want (and know they can) inspire
• But they are also take pains to make children aware of what they
need to do to reach their goals: work hard, practice, meet people who
can tell you about that job
• And to ensure that they know that certain careers are only for a tiny
proportion of exceptional people
• Wary about encouraging them to follow impossible dreams
Today we’re going to be
web designers or Today
we’re going to be artists
Teacher – London
What’s your plan B? Do
you know what you have
to do to become a
footballer?
Teacher – London
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Under their noses all the time
Primary school teachers felt there were real possibilities in exciting children
about engineering if presented in the right way
Indeed many of the activities they got their pupils involved in were in fact all
about engineering
Esp true of design and technology, on reflection teachers realise that design
and tech is engineering
• They do a lot with computers
• But do not label it as engineering or make the children aware that it is
And all children seemed to love tech
• Coding is taking in off, crucially with boys and girls
Sometimes we say to
children, ‘let’s build a
bridge out of boxes’,
that’s engineering, but
we never call it that
Teacher – London
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Primary schools: activities, outings, visits
Teachers like to take their children on trips and outings
• So anything connected with engineering would be welcome
But trips can be difficult to organise, sometimes frustrating and teachers sometimes wonder how much the children get out of them
They felt the best option is actually visits from those people who actually do the job
• This happens all the time with the emergency services, it’s part of their remit
• But visits from other people depend entirely on who knows who and any links the school may have with employers
But nothing beats a real person able to explain their job in an interesting and engaging way to inspire the children
• And engineers should surely have plenty to show and tell
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Secondary schools: careers
Secondary school teachers are focussed on helping children choose
GCSE / A level subjects, and then on to choosing courses at
university
• And some of those subjects will of course lead more
directly to a career than others
• Eg sciences
In secondary schools, certain subjects are designed to deal with
work and the future
• Citizenship and PSHE
• But it’s up to the individual teacher how useful and
applicable these sessions are
• Platforms like Fast Tomato offer support and guidance
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Secondary schools: careers
Careers advice is not seen as particularly helpful (and never has been!, everyone laughs about
the career advice they received at school)
• And it is one of the services that has suffered from recent cut-backs
Some activity as part of the current STEM promotions
• Focussed on girls, but not much apart from that
As with primary schools secondary schools value real people who can talk about their real
careers
59
What this means for communications
Different pathways need to be communicated to teachers and parents – show there is progression in
the field
Important for the breadth of engineering, variety of skills required and range of access points into the
industry to be communicated
• This will challenge the idea that only highly intelligent and privileged children can enter the
profession
• And allow the engineering career path to be shown as more accessible.
Conclusions and Recommendations
61
Key conclusions
Engineering is everywhere and nowhere
For something so crucial to the way the world works it is surprisingly low-key
On reflection parents and teachers see how ubiquitous it is
• Holding up the fabric of our world
Need to open up everyone’s eyes to how important it is
• It’s not just Crossrail and the Channel Tunnel it’s every road we cross, every bridge we pass
under, every building we go into
• As well as every piece of tech we handle
Engineering is everywhere
62
Key conclusions
Just as the scope of engineering is much broader than we think so the kind of person who can
become an engineer is much broader than we think
In popular culture engineers are seen to occupy a narrow area
• And to be a very specific type of person
• E.g. the nerd
Whereas in fact engineers are everything we want to be
• Creative, imaginative, problem-solvers, team-workers
• And they achieve things that help people and change our world
Even the most un-practical of us has a little bit of engineering in us
Everyone is an engineer
63
Key conclusions
From our perspective we think the opportunities lie in a big broad campaign that re-frames engineering
• There are opportunities to target sub-groups more specifically
But the similarities between the perceptions of teachers, parents, children remain greater than the
differences
The areas of engineering that attract children are the same that attract adults
• Tech, the Olympics, robots, prosthetics, super-cars (esp boys and men)
64
Thought starters
Engineering is everywhere
Opportunities for events / road-shows / games
School activities
65
Thought starters
Everyone’s an engineer
Targeted campaigns at girls
But opportunities for children across the board
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