Select Committee Inquiry - Engineering (UK)
From: Innovation, Universities, Science and
Skills
Date announced: 29 January 2008 / 2
July 2008
Evidence due: 14 March 2008 / 19
September 2008
Semta evidence submitted: 14
March 2008 / 19 September 2008
Report published: 27 March 2009
Summary
The Innovation, Universities and Skills Committee announced on
29 January 2008 that it would be holding a major inquiry into
engineering. The terms of reference for this inquiry
were:
- The role of engineering and engineers in UK society.
- The role of engineering and engineers in UK's innovation
drive.
- The state of the engineering skills base in the UK, including
the supply of engineers and issues of diversity (for example,
gender and age profile).
- The importance of engineering to R&D and the contribution
of R&D to engineering.
- The roles of industry, universities, professional bodies,
government, unions and others in promoting engineering skills and
the formation and development of careers in engineering.
The Committee also agreed on the subjects of the first two case
studies within this inquiry. These were nuclear engineering
and plastic electronics engineering.
The Committee announced two further case studes on 2nd July
2008, on Geo-Engineering and Engineering in Government.
The terms of reference for the Engineering in Government case
study were as follows:
- The role and effectiveness of the Government Office for Science
and the Chief Scientific Advisers in providing engineering advice
across government and communicating issues relating to engineering
in government to the public.
- The use of engineering advice in government policy
making and project delivery, including examples of policy
decisions or project delivery that have been, or will be taken with
or without engineering advice.
- How government identifies the need for engineering advice and
how it sources engineering advice.
- The status of engineering and engineers within the civil
service, including assessments of the effectiveness of the science
and engineering fast streams, and the role and career prospects of
specialist engineers in the civil service.
- The role and effectiveness of professional engineers and the
engineering community in promoting engineering and providing
engineering advice to government and the civil
service.
- International examples of how engineers and engineering advice
are imbedded in government.
Next steps
The government published its report on 26th June 2009.
Documents and Links
Government response to the
report
Report from the Committee
Semta's submission
to the Engineering inquiry
Evidence from John Denham, Mark Beatson and Prof John
Beddington on 12 Jan 2009
Transcript of Semta's appearance before the Select
Committee on 21 May 2008
E-forum for employers
E-forum for young engineers
Semta represents the view of our employers across government and
the media. If you are an employer in the science,
engineering, or manufacturing technology sectors, we welcome your
views at policy@semta.org.uk
20 July 2009