FMJ.CO.UK M&E FOCUS
FEBRUARY 2020 39
retain high-calibre individuals. We find that
this approach results in low sta turnover,
evidenced through a large number of
engineers who have been with us for 10
years or more.”
The personalisation of JCA’s recruiting
and pipelining processes aims to build
relationships in advance, so that when
a requirement to recruit for a new role
arises, there’s already a pool of potential
candidates within the company.
Once on board, employees are equipped
with all the information they need to
perform their role and made aware of
their individual importance to the overall
business strategy. Other jobseekers hear
that the organisation is a great place to
work and develop. Additionally, a robust
culture rooted in the company’s values
encourages people to question and
challenge the company’s strategic plans
and vision at every level.
While training and upskilling
opportunities are available at every level,
it’s particularly important to ensure leaders
have the skills to motivate their teams.
Senior managers are regularly enrolled
on management development courses
to evaluate and improve their skills.
Developing core leadership skills from
the bottom up is also essential to build a
structured succession plan. JCA invests
heavily in recognising and training aspiring
next-generation leaders. Understanding
the needs and goals of the current and
next generation allows for a more agile
approach and helps to clear the way for
those keen to develop and deliver to their
full potential.
TACKLING THE SKILLS GAP
According to Engineering UK, the skills gap
is driven by strong competition for skilled
candidates, a shortage of applicants with
appropriate qualifications, and lack of
awareness among young people of career
options in the engineering industry. There
is a clear need to strengthen knowledge of
the profession. Engineering UK estimates
that only around 25 per cent of young
people aged 11 to 16 know what people
working in engineering do.
One of the ways JCA tackles this
challenge is by connecting with local
schools through the Careers Enterprise
Network in areas where the company is
working on projects or maintaining sites,
o ering advice and support to pupils as
they contemplate the world of work.
Promoting engineering and STEM subjects,
especially among girls, helps younger
people think di erently about their future
options and consider routes they hadn’t
thought to explore, such as engineering
apprenticeships.
Having these links with local schools
also creates a future pipeline of potential
apprentices or employees. Providing young
people in school or college with work
experience introduces them to the reality of
working life as well as the varied possibilities
of a career in engineering.
Another issue is the continuing gender
disparity in engineering. While women
comprised around 47 per cent of the overall
UK workforce in 2018, only 12 per cent of
women worked in engineering occupations.
Kirsty Eyles, JCA’s Lead Water Technician
at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital,
is certain that it’s lack of belief in
their own capabilities that o en
stops women from attempting to
enter the world of engineering.
“Engineering is fun, challenging,
innovative and fast moving. I
would encourage women to
dare to take up that challenge
and risk entering men-dominated
career fields. In my experience,
women o en think they cannot do
certain technical tasks when faced with
something they have never done before,
while men automatically assume they
can. When I look around me, I see women
engineers in many fields – mechanical,
electrical, structural, materials, computer
sciences. Anything is possible.”
While progress has been made, it’s
clear more needs to be done to promote
engineering careers to women and young
people. Engineering organisations need
to take positive action to ensure a reliable
supply of skilled engineers for this crucial
industry.
Engineering UK
estimates that only around
25 per cent of young people
aged 11 to 16 know what
people working in
engineering do.”