IET: "Engineering GCSE should be reformed, not scrapped"

The organisation has already highlighted this to Ofqual following its proposal to streamline the number of GCSE courses in manufacturing, electronics and engineering as a result of low numbers of students studying the subjects. Analysis of the 2014 GCSE results shows a 73% increase (5,027 students in 2014 compared to 2,897 in 2013) in students successfully studying GCSE engineering. Paul Davies, IET head of policy, said: "It is imperative that GCSE engineering be reformed rather than removed. One of the reasons given for removing this subject is due to the low student numbers. However, the results published today show a large increase. "GCSE engineering is widely recognised as a significant route to providing the crucial technical skills that young people need to succeed in industry. According to the IET Skills Survey, 44% of engineering, IT and technical recruits do not meet the employer's expected levels of skills. Davies went on to stress that the removal of these subjects would send the wrong message about their importance to the UK economy. "We believe that rigorous, highly valued qualifications should exist in engineering and technology areas that will be vital to the nation's future and that all education policy makers should seek to maximise the take up of these qualifications," he concluded.