Repair is the key to inspiring tomorrow’s engineers

The manufacturing industry in the UK is at a crossroads. With a growing skills gap threatening to derail productivity and innovation, it's more important than ever to think about the future workforce. According to recent statistics from Make UK, 36% of manufacturing vacancies are proving hard to fill due to a lack of appropriate practical skills, qualifications, or experience. This gap cost the UK economy between £7.7 billion and £8.3 billion in lost productivity in 2022 alone, equating to £21 million per day in lost output.

To remain competitive and ensure long term growth, businesses must address this issue head-on. One solution is to inspire the next generation of engineers and technicians to pursue careers in manufacturing and repair.

WHY REPAIR COULD HOLD THE KEY

As someone who had the privilege of attending an AEMT Conference last year, I was struck by a common theme among attendees: their passion for repair began in childhood. One member shared fond memories of visiting his grandmother's house and rummaging through the cupboards so he could repair anything that was broken. Another recalled removing the doors from his mother's car just to figure out how they worked. And yet another described lying under a neighbour's car as a child, trying to fix it.

Seeing this correlation, later, when I was given the chance to speak at the conference, I asked the room who had similar repair-focused experiences growing up. Nearly every hand went up. It was a powerful moment that underscored a clear connection: early exposure to repair sparks a lifelong interest in engineering and manufacturing.

This realisation can act as a call to action and a potential solution to our skills shortage problem in industry. By creating hands-on, repair-focused experiences for young people, we can plant the seeds of curiosity and inspire them to pursue careers that address the critical skill shortage in our industry. And every engineering business can support this by engaging with the young people in their community. But where should you begin?

A starting point would be to think back to what inspired your own interest in manufacturing or repair. Was it tinkering with old machines or taking things apart to see how they worked? Use those memories to design experiences that will captivate today's young talent.

Then, introducing young people in your local area to these careers early benefits the industry and strengthens your community ties. Studies show that it is best to do this younger, with evidence suggesting that most young people's science aspirations and views of science are formed during the primary years and have solidified by the age of 14.

You can engage local young people by giving talks at local schools, which is a great first step, but to truly inspire, make it hands-on. For example, design an activity that reflects your day-to-day work, allowing students to see how engaging and rewarding a career in manufacturing can be. It can also remove a lot of confusion about what a manufacturing career can look like day to day.

This can be quite daunting to design, but if you need it, Team Repair can help. We aim to spark curiosity and inspire potential engineers through hands-on, repair-focused STEM education. Our programme, designed for students aged ten to 14 (years five to nine), makes it simple for organisations to connect with schools and create impactful outreach experiences.

We produce repair kits with a gadget in need of fixing, along with all the spare parts and tools needed to complete the repair and materials to support lesson planning and delivery. So far, these kits have reached over 7,500 children in both home and educational environments across the UK. Of those who have used the kits, 54% say they'd be more likely to repair in the future, and 26% say they'd be more likely to go into a STEM career. One education professional who used our resources said: "Using the Team Repair kit has had a profound impact on the pupils I have worked with. The kit is insightful and clear and challenges the children on their knowledge and understanding of technology."

We share the same goal – to see more young people choose a career in engineering. Whether it's using our kits to run workshops or sponsoring a local school to access our resources, we can make it easier for you to inspire future engineers.

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This article appeared in Renew magazine. To read more or request your personal digital or print edition of Renew, click here.