The skills shortage debate continues

In one, the University of Cambridge has worked with engineering firms to develop a resource kit for teachers to use in Key Stage 3 Design and Technology classes. According to a spokesman, "the Designing our Tomorrow project hopes that all Key Stage 3 students will enjoy challenging lessons and be inspired to consider design as a real and rewarding career path". All well and good, but what happens when they decide to study engineering? A recent roundtable convened by The Mathworks considered the results of a survey which the company undertook last year on the STEM skills gap. Three themes emerged from the roundtable: there is a lack of young people going into university to study STEM subjects; industry has an inability to retain engineering graduates; and the quality of graduates emerging from UK universities is of concern. The survey claimed employers think they should have a bigger say in the STEM curriculum, but 54% of academics disagreed. More than 60% of businesses wanted to see more project based learning; only 34% of academics agreed. And more than half of employers thought students wouldn't reach their potential without project based learning. So what to do when there is such a difference of opinion? You would imagine that getting both sides to sit down and agree a way forward might be a start. During the roundtable, an eminent academic said that kind of discussion has not taken place. With all the talk about skills shortages, wouldn't you have thought this debate should have taken place some time ago?