The Royal Academy of Engineering has initiated a pilot project to address the UK’s engineering skills shortage. Twenty primary and secondary schools across Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire are participating in the first phase of “This is Engineering: Schools—Scotland,” which officially began on March 25, 2025, with a launch event at Aberdeen Science Centre.
The program targets students aged 9-14 and their teachers, providing resources and support to inspire continued engagement with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects beyond age 16. At the launch event, participants took part in hands-on engineering activities, heard from young engineers about their career paths, and connected with local engineering businesses and employers.
The initiative responds to data concerning the UK’s engineering workforce. Current projections indicate that at least 200,000 new engineers and technicians will be needed in the energy sector alone by 2030. More concerning is the decline in workforce diversity—women currently comprise only 15.7% of UK engineers, down from 16.5% in 2023.
Dr Rhys Morgan, Director of Education and Skills at the Royal Academy of Engineering, highlighted the economic significance of engineering in the region: “Engineering contributes more than £6bn annually to the economy of Aberdeenshire. Over 100,000 people are employed within the sector and over 8,000 engineering businesses are in the county.”
Areas of Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire face particular challenges. Data shows that in regions with high socioeconomic disadvantage, the percentage of pupils achieving five or more National subject qualifications is lower than regional averages, particularly in STEM subjects. Since STEM qualifications can enhance social mobility due to employer demand, targeting these areas is a strategic priority.
Program Components and Structure
The “This is Engineering: Schools” initiative employs a comprehensive approach to STEM education, incorporating several key elements:
- A whole-school approach involving students, STEM teachers, careers leaders, senior management, parents, and school governors
- Small grants to enhance engineering elements in the STEM curriculum, focusing on sustainability and climate change activities
- Active employer engagement connecting schools with local STEM-engineering businesses, particularly those requiring green skills
- Curriculum-linked resources, career materials, and role model case studies
- Teacher training and peer-to-peer support networks to facilitate collaboration and sharing of best practices
The program builds on lessons from previous Academy initiatives, including the 11-year Connecting STEM Teachers program. It aims to create sustainable change through long-term engagement rather than one-off interactions.
The program’s primary goal is diversifying engineering by gender, geography, ethnic origin, and socioeconomic background. The initiative specifically targets areas of high economic deprivation with strong engineering histories and current skills demands.
The focus on younger students (ages 9-14) is strategic. Gwen Folland, Head of External Affairs at Venterra, one of the supporting companies, explained: “This schools programme seeks to encourage 9–14-year-olds to pursue engineering, which is the ideal age to embrace the engineering discipline. It is a pivotal time for young people when they are gaining clarity on their career paths.”
By engaging students before they make critical subject choices, the program aims to increase the pipeline of potential engineers, particularly from underrepresented groups.
Several organizations, including Boeing, the Royal Air Force, SGN, Venterra, and the estate of Mr John Gozzard, support the pilot. This multi-stakeholder approach brings together educational, industry, and military perspectives.
The Royal Academy of Engineering is implementing the program as part of its broader “This is Engineering” campaign, launched in 2018 in partnership with Engineering UK and major engineering organizations. The campaign aims to present engineering accurately to young people as an exciting and rewarding career path.
Regional Implementation Strategy
This is Engineering: Schools represent a regional approach to STEM education. Beyond the Scottish pilot, the Academy has established similar initiatives in Northern Ireland, Wales, and the West Midlands, each tailored to local contexts.
These regional programs operate under the unified “This is Engineering: Schools” banner but are customized to address specific regional needs and opportunities. The Scottish pilot focuses on the energy transition occurring in Aberdeen, which sees traditional oil and gas sectors contract while green and clean tech sectors grow.
Dr Morgan emphasized the importance of this local contextualization: “It will be important that businesses in this sector can access the home-grown talent and skills they need to drive new economic growth. It is equally important that young people from all backgrounds across the region understand the opportunities and rewarding careers in engineering and technology.”
The Academy has designed the initiative with sustainability in mind. According to Dr Morgan, “Evidence from our past and present regional school engagement programmes has shown us that long-term, targeted interventions have the biggest impact in terms of the number of students progressing with STEM subjects at a higher level and the embedding of strong culture around engineering-based STEM teaching and learning in schools.”
If the Aberdeen pilot proves successful, the model could be expanded to other regions facing similar challenges with engineering skills gaps. The program aims to create a pipeline of future engineers to address 21st-century challenges, particularly in sustainability and energy transition.
Industry partners see the initiative as addressing critical needs. Venterra’s Gwen Folland noted, “A shortage of skilled engineers is one of the key challenges to growing the renewables industry.”
As the Aberdeen pilot begins, the Royal Academy of Engineering will monitor outcomes closely. The success metrics will likely include increased enrollment in STEM subjects post-16, greater diversity among STEM students, and stronger relationships between schools and engineering employers.
The Academy has indicated that long-term support is essential. Dr. Morgan stated, “It is really important that this sort of scheme is supported over a period of years. We are very ambitious for This is Engineering: Schools and we look forward to working with employers in the region.”
If the planned outcomes are achieved, the initiative could provide a template for addressing engineering skills gaps nationwide, ultimately strengthening the UK’s capacity for innovation and economic growth in engineering-dependent sectors.
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TLDR:
- Royal Academy of Engineering launched “This is Engineering: Schools” in Aberdeen with 20 schools
- The initiative addresses UK engineering skills gap (200,000 new engineers needed by 2030)
- The program targets 9-14-year-olds with hands-on activities and industry connections
- Focus on increasing diversity in engineering (women currently only 15.7% of the workforce)
- Implements whole-school approach with curriculum resources and teacher training
- Supported by Boeing, RAF, SGN, and Venterra
- Aims to boost STEM participation in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas
