Professor Danielle George MBE, the outgoing IET President and an ambassador for 'Engineering Kids' Futures', said: "To 'build back better' and fully embrace the 'green industrial revolution' promised by the government, it is essential to start with solid foundations. The solution proposed is to embed engineering into primary school learning and help bridge the growing skills gap within UK workforces. The pressure group argues that the lack of skills necessary for the future is a need that must be addressed now. It is a growing issue which the IET has been tracking for the last 15 years – longer than the time it takes for a primary-aged child to complete their education. However, this challenge has not appeared overnight. The IET's latest 'Skills Survey' (based on research conducted by YouGov) identifies that almost half (49 per cent) of engineering businesses are experiencing difficulties in the skills available to them when trying to recruit. In June this year, the IET's own report - 'Addressing the STEM skills shortage challenge' - revealed an estimated shortfall of over 173,000 workers in the STEM sector, with an average of 10 unfilled roles per business in the UK. The letter - signed by Major Tim Peake, Carol Vorderman MBE, will.i.am, and industry representatives from Rolls Royce, Vodafone and the MOD, amongst others - calls on the government to join the campaign and contribute to securing the UK's future as a nation of innovators, whose skills will become increasingly important in the coming decades to help tackle the global challenges posed by the ambition to reach net zero and meeting the pledges made at COP26. In an open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the influential group has appealed to the government to work together with educators and industry to develop practical support for teachers of young children and to embed engineering in their existing STEM learning.
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