The EPC has responded to the Education Select Committee inquiry into Further Education and Skills.
Our representation highlights our concerns surrounding uncertainty about which qualifications will be available at Level 3 going forwards and how this MAY impact skills shortages in Engineering. We offer specific insights into BTECs as an entry route to higher education (HE), T level Maths and apprenticeships. The EPC has also supported the development of the Royal Academy of Engineering Education and Skills team evidence and is broadly supportive of their submission.
We press that Engineering is a key driver of the growth that the government wishes to stimulate, adding £645Bn to the UK – that’s nearly a third of the entire value of the economy. The engineering sector is a powerhouse of regional development as it is spread remarkably evenly throughout the country. However, according to the British Chambers of Commerce, engineering accounts for one of the largest skills gaps in the UK economy. Engineering higher education plays a pivotal role in minimising this gap, but still, Engineering UK has suggested the shortfall is around 29,000 graduates every year.
We have responded on: curriculum and qualifications in further education; the strengths and weaknesses of T Levels as the main qualification option for students wishing to pursue a technical route into further education; the reform of Level 3 qualifications; how to resolve the skills shortage and narrow the gap between the skills that employers want and the skills that employees have; workforce pressures on delivering further education; and widening access to higher education.
You can read the full response to the consultation here.
