News / Engineering
Nationwide engineering talent drive launches in Bristol
A major industry-backed national initiative, aimed at tackling the UK’s engineering and design skills shortage, has been recently launched in Bristol.
The programme which is expected to reach 1,700 schools around Bristol, Avon and Gloucestershire was officially unveiled at the Aerospace Bristol on Friday.
Billed “Classroom to Concorde”, the programme highlights the importance of building on Bristol’s rich engineering heritage, which produced the likes of Concorde and Rolls-Royce engines.
The programme links schools directly with businesses to inspire the next generation of innovators.
A major industry-backed national initiative, aimed at tackling the UK’s engineering and design skills shortage, has been recently launched in Bristol
The initiative was supported by James Dyson Foundation, the outreach arm of the West Country-based engineering giant Dyson and the global tech titan Samsung.
The initiative provides teachers with resources, training and real-world industry engagement.
The scheme, led by the Design & Technology Association, brought together industry leaders, pupils, and teachers for the event.
It comes as the UK’s £100bn design economy faces growing skills shortages, alongside a decline in design and technology education in schools.
By embedding industry expertise into the classroom and adopting a regional, scalable model, the initiative aims to strengthen career pathways, support teachers and rebuild the pipeline of future engineers, designers and manufacturers.
The programme is billed as a long-term effort to “reconnect education with industry and drive future economic growth”.
“This regional initiative is about bringing schools and employers together in a meaningful, sustainable way, so that every young person can see what their learning could lead to,” said Tony Ryan, chief executive at Design & Technology Association
Tony Ryan, chief executive of the Design & Technology Association, said: “Design and Technology has always been one of the most powerful subjects for connecting education to the real world.
“What we’re seeing now is a growing recognition from industry that if we want a strong, innovative economy in the future, we need to invest in that connection much earlier.
“This regional initiative is about bringing schools and employers together in a meaningful, sustainable way, so that every young person can see what their learning could lead to.”
The programme which is expected to reach 1,700 schools around Bristol, Avon and Gloucestershire was officially unveiled at the Aerospace Bristol
The Design & Technology Association is a national membership body supporting some 25,000 teachers, who has set its ambition to scale the programme up to 14 to 16 regions across England and Wales over the next two to four years, creating a national network of hubs that brings industry engagement into classrooms.
All photos: Design & Technology Association
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