Aims of the Skills centre
The Skills centre aims to build on our existing Academy activities such as, This is engineering schools, our graduate bursary schemes, EDI programmes and Visiting professor programme.
It will do this by providing resources and opportunities that will future proof skills for existing and upcoming engineers and enable educators and employers to hone engineering expertise.
Specifically the skills centre will provide resources for:
- Employers looking to upskill their workforce
- Lecturers and educators searching for teaching resources
- FE and HE students keen to align their skills with future employment requirements
- Engineers eager to keep up to date with the latest technology developments
Skills centre core activities
1. Skills insights
We will identify the skills needs of future technologies, to ensure that they can be adopted and exploited early by UK businesses.
2. Skills development and innovation:
We will foster, pilot and evaluate new materials, resources and approaches to education and training, to see what works
Skills research and analysis
Working in partnership with research institutes and skills organisations to identify future technology skills for early adoption by UK businesses.
Why a national engineering skills hub is needed
The engineering profession in the UK has a decades-old skills deficit and diversity challenge that is a result of the current education and skills ecosystem. Employers cannot recruit individuals with the right mix of technical, digital, and interdisciplinary skills, particularly in areas critical to the UK’s strategic priorities, like digital transformation, the transition to net zero, and sustainability.
UK Engineering skills landscape in 2025
people employed in engineering-related roles, nearly one-fifth of the total workforce.
work in core engineering occupations.
contribute through adjacent roles in architecture, construction, and technical services.
Engineering is a growth area with a skills shortage
Labour market projections from Skills England suggest that engineering occupations will experience one of the highest rates of employment growth by 2030. Green engineering roles have increased by over 50% in the past five years, with job postings requiring green skills rising by nearly 48%.
The UK needs 124,000 new engineers and technicians each year to meet demand. The ongoing shortage of engineers is a challenge for engineering companies in key sectors. Although public trust in engineers is high there is a lack of understanding of the breadth and depth of their role and impact in society. This impacts how working in engineering is perceived both as a choice for students as well as a long term career for more established engineers.
Key factors contributing to the UK skills gap and Skills centre solutions
Skills centre solution
Related content/News
This section should have relevant articles, recent news from the Academy partners or other credible sources.
The videos is just an example as are the two blogs. @Rhys/@Damian please can you do some content research or speak to the media team for items to go here.
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The Skills centre - @Rhys please explain the diagram below in words and how TIE, TIE schools, our programmes and the NEPC connect.
This is engineering
This is Engineering aims to help increase the number and diversity of future engineers, by repositioning engineering careers to young people (aged 13-18) and their influencers. The campaign shows young people what engineering really looks like, how it could be an exciting and rewarding career, and how to get there.
This is engineering schools
Learn about our multi-region education programme This is Engineering: Schools, and get access to STEM teaching and learning resources for schools.
Education scholarships and funding
The Academy education and skills activities are focused on addressing the UK’s engineering skills challenge. We work across all phases of education to encourage the widest diversity of people to work…
The National Engineering Policy Centre
The National Engineering Policy Centre brings engineering thinking to the heart of policymaking, creating positive impacts for society.