A view from the top

By guest blogger: Roma Agrawal
Structural Engineer at WSP | Parsons Brinckeroff


As one of my career highs to date has been to work on The Shard, designing its foundations and the ‘Spire’, it got me thinking... What if we were to view investment in the next generation of engineers, in the same way we would view the construction of a tall building? Where our fulfilling careers are the ‘top’ of our buildings, and we are now looking down to the next generation of engineers - yet to start their climb.

So where would we start? A tall building needs a deep, solid foundation. In order for young people to see the opportunities that they could be exposed to later on in life, through a rewarding career, an investment has to be made in order to establish a solid foundation during the period when they are most eager to learn – their school years.

Recent research carried out by the Education Employers Taskforce, uncovered that the more interventions a child has during their education, then the more this will help them in their future study and career decisions - the age of impact is much younger than you may think. So, how will they make an informed choice if they aren’t able to interact with the people in the jobs that might inspire them? As a Structural Engineer myself, I regularly engage with students to advocate for engineering & STEM careers and to demonstrate first-hand why studying STEM is important and the rewards of a technical vocation.

We as engineers have a responsibility to raise the profiles of our vocations to influence its appeal. There are so many options for young people these days, and we shouldn’t let misconceptions of what engineering is and what we do, be a reason to lose out on talented young people entering our industry, as this would be relatively easy to address ‘if’ more professionals reached out to their local community and helped to engage more with young people.

So back to our building... once we have supported interventions during compulsory education should we can’t just stop at the foundation.  We must continue by encouraging them to establish their structure. Work experience, apprenticeships and industry placements, are a great way for young people to build on their educational foundations and to enter into the working environment that they may one day become an essential part of.

By getting involved in mentoring young people that enter our organisations and encouraging employers to take on students in offering these opportunities, we can make a real impact, not only on their lives but on the entry-level skills within industry. At WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff we run ‘Launchpad’, a scheme which brings in students from local schools for a week to give them some real life experience. Giving young people the opportunity to develop skills in the workplace will take them to the next level of their understanding, making sure that when they do enter industry they can make the impact we need.

I would urge my industry peers to use our ‘view from the top’ not to simply look down and comment on the skills gap, but to actually take a step in helping to build the foundations and structures of the next generation.  

Bio

Roma, a structural engineer at WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff who spent 6 years working on The Shard, is described as "the new voice of women talking about science and engineering and making it cool” by The Telegraph. A multiple award winner, she has appeared as an expert in documentaries, in UK broadsheets and magazines; on the BBC and ITV. Roma has given a TEDx talk about the engineering 'brand', and was selected as a ‘Leading Lady’ in the 2014 M&S campaign.

Outside work, she actively promotes engineering, scientific and technical careers to young people and particularly to under-represented groups such as women. Find out more at www.RomaTheEngineer.com and @RomaTheEngineer.