Fair Access to Engineering

The Engineering Council UK (ECUK) and the Engineering and Technology Board (ETB) have welcomed a report by The Rt Hon Alan Milburn MP's Cabinet Office Panel on Fair Access to the Professions, especially their finding that, by comparison with other professions, engineering is a UK wide profession with extensive opportunities available to those living outside London.

Published earlier this week, the report examined a number of issues facing various professions in the UK, including geographical equality. The Panel found that when compared with other professions such as banking & finance, law and IT, engineering has much more inclusive geographical spread, with 80% of internships and work experience placements being available outside London.

This confirms the perception of engineering as being significantly more geographically diverse than other major professions, reflecting the importance of engineering as a contributor to the economy, infrastructure and society across the whole of the UK.  In fact, of the 250,000 professional engineers domiciled in the UK and registered with ECUK more than 97% are based outside of Central London.

Andrew Ramsay, Chief Executive of ECUK said: "With a long tradition of access from non-traditional backgrounds and from all regions of the UK, engineering is a profession in which it is possible to progress through a wide variety of Higher, Further and vocational education routes. Qualification to Engineering Technician level and beyond can be achieved via apprenticeships, vocational courses, Higher Nationals, Foundation Degrees and a variety of other flexible routes, providing opportunities for any individual to achieve a senior position of responsibility.  This goes to show that engineering is a great career, offering a multitude of opportunities."