A major new parliamentary inquiry by the Innovation, Universities and Skills Select Committee focusing on the provision of engineering skills in the UK, was welcomed this week by industry business group, the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE).

As long-term advocates on this issue, ACE is extremely supportive of the committee of MPs move and called for industry-wide consensus on finding a workable solution to the problem.

A recent ACE report, 'Skills Shortages and Recruitment Agency Behaviours', examined the issue in some detail, concluding that the shortages are not just a future possibility but are already severely affecting UK businesses.

ACE Chief Executive, Nelson Ogunshakin, commented: "Immediate action is needed if we are to solve the engineering crisis. Our recent investigation shows that there are today 20,000 unfilled vacancies in the consultancy and engineering sector alone. We will be highlighting this and a range of other issues in our response to the committee’s inquiry."

Mr Ogunshakin continued: "This is fundamentally about education and about the numbers of suitably qualified graduates coming through our universities, of which at present there simply are not enough. As trainee teachers are attracted to study through the waiving of fees, so engineers should be provided with similar incentives."

He concluded by saying ACE is currently working alongside the Government to find suitable solutions and focus on the issue of engineering skills shortages.

(JM)