How Talent Gap, Diverse Thinking, and Innovation Go Hand-in-Hand in Engineering

5 mins read

With the growing shortfall of young talent in the engineering sector, Catherine Ramsdale, SVP Technology at Pragmatic Semiconductor, outlines how diverse thinking can inspire the next generation of engineers.

How Talent Gap, Diverse Thinking, and Innovation Go Hand-in-Hand in Engineering

The UK’s engineering sector is facing a potential crisis of employment, with a predicted shortfall of one million engineers by 2030, according to the Society of Operations Engineers. This paints a bleak future for infrastructure projects, medical technology, and sustainable development.

The talent gap is becoming a major concern for the industry, requiring urgent solutions.

Also read: UK Connect Champions STEM Education, Inspiring 15,000 Young Minds

The Decline of STEM Education and Government Intervention 

Lack of training and young people undertaking STEM subjects has been listed as a factor in this growing decline. A report by STEM Learning found that almost a third of young people in years 7 to 9 were already rejecting science beyond GCSEs.

Though the recent Labour government has made promises to tackle this employment gap through the establishment of an independent Industrial Strategy Council, industry experts claim that the suggested intervention is not enough.

The Need for Diverse Thinking in Engineering

Catherine Ramsdale, SVP Technology at Pragmatic Semiconductor, is one of these experts calling for greater and unique engagement with young people to enter the sector.

She says that diverse thinking is needed in the engineering world for better innovation and to ensure that anyone, regardless of background, can become the next generation of engineering talent.

“I view diverse thinking as a form of problem-solving,” says Ramsdale. “By doing this, a team is looking for the most optimum solution for the challenges that are in front of you.”

Ramsdale says that putting forward a range of viewpoints and perspectives can offer the best solution to an engineering project.

She believes that there are multiple ways of solving a problem, and teams must find the best overall solution that minimises cost, risk, and increases the accuracy of a product functioning.

If only one perspective, like the technical perspective, is included, then the success rate of a product and a team will deplete, according to Ramsdale.

“You have to consider what is best for the overall business, and that includes the financial side, the technical viewpoint, and the manufacturing point of view,” she says. “You need all these thought processes involved in terms of functionality to work out what is collectively the best answer," Ramsdale says.

“If you only take one opinion or one group's worth of opinions, then you'll miss the best solution,” she says.

“Bringing in everyone in that positive mindset of aiming for the best solution to a problem is critical in making sure that the best engineering solution and best business solution is being addressed to the engineering challenge.”

Companies have already begun adopting this process with success. Initiatives such as the Growth Hub enable employees to comment on the “company’s purpose” and create "breakthrough engineering for a better world"—to help shape product development and customer solutions.

How Role Models Can Drive Innovation 

Ramsdale has an extensive background in science and engineering, holding very passionate views on the importance engineering has played in her life as well as on a societal level.

“I see engineering as a practical application of science, and you can see the products in situations that society can benefit from,” she says.

Ramsdale has worked at Pragmatic Semiconductor, a semiconductor manufacturing company, for just under 14 years, holding positions such as development manager and vice president of device development.

She also spent seven years at Plastic Logic Limited as an engineer and a research manager.

Ramsdale says that her role models have helped motivate her passion for pushing more young people into the industry.

“I have had a lot of people by my side throughout my career. My PhD professor at my university helped me and other students develop our own sense of curiosity and how to solve solutions,” she says.

“Role models, like him, who are enthusiastic, are important in the industry,” Ramsdale says. “I also think anyone can be a role model, whether they are senior or junior colleagues—it just has to be someone who demonstrates behaviours and approaches that you are able to learn from.”

Role models in engineering, especially for women and minority groups, are considered vital for engineering uptake, with CWJobs reporting that 60% of women working in STEM were inspired by a role model, compared to 46% of men—further introducing diverse thinking through different types of people entering the workforce.

Encouraging Young People to Enter the Industry

Under the Conservative leadership, industry experts were calling for more practical study since the decline of apprenticeships in specialised careers, highlighting the growing talent gap in the sector.

In response, the government developed T-levels in September 2020 to help offer a clear path to employment and help students develop specific skills for certain industries, including engineering.

They are two-year courses that offer on-the-job experience that provides entry-level opportunities into skilled employment or apprenticeships.

The government has now reported that over 16,000 students have started a T-level in the 2023/24 academic year, marking a significant step in addressing the talent gap in engineering.

Ramsdale recognises the impact that T-levels have had on supporting young people but says that intervention needs to happen much earlier to inspire young people into the sector.

“Apprenticeships and T-levels are excellent ways of developing problem-solving discipline, which is important in the engineering sector,” she says. “But we need to get people even younger involved earlier.”

“By the time students have chosen to do a T-Level or an apprenticeship, they’ve already selected to go down that route as a career a few years prior. To get people on that pathway, to start with, we need to encourage them at a younger age to be interested in STEM engineering opportunities.”

Introducing STEM at a Younger Age 

Ramsdale believes that intervention should start as early as primary school to boost interest in STEM subjects.

“STEM engineering is a massive umbrella term for a huge range of disciplines across many sectors, and when you are younger, it can be considered a nebulous term.”

“We can show these young people, at primary and secondary school ages, the range of activities that can be done in engineering careers and what things they can involve themselves in,” she says.

“Anything that engages directly with younger age groups is critical, as well as encouraging those who have already chosen an engineering pathway as shown with T-levels,” Ramsdale says.

Notable initiatives in place to get young people into STEM include EngineeringUK’s partnership with the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust to expand its Big Bang at School Blueprint programme.

The Big Bang at School Blueprint programme allows secondary schools to host their own science and engineering days.

Fostering Collaboration Across Industries

Ramsdale says incentivisation can occur when different industries collaborate to inspire young people.

“You see a lot of collaborations between biology and engineering, biology and chemistry. You can see kind of new topics forming as things progress, and those interfaces lead to innovation,” she says.

“This will provide new opportunities that are available and will, in turn, lead to even more innovation,” she says.

Managing Conflict in Diverse Thinking Environments

With a range of different opinions being challenged under diverse thinking, it raises questions as to how conflict is avoided.

Ramsdale says that positive intent and listening will allow for conflict to be avoided in environments that involve diverse thinking.

“We strongly believe that an individual is going into a conversation with the intent to find a solution and not to be difficult,” she says. “You hear all viewpoints equally and do not take it personally that someone disagrees with you.”

“Diverse thinking is about avoiding conflict. It is about listening to what the other person is saying and why they are saying it—and if you disagree, then work out why you disagree because there will be a reason—which will lead to everyone reaching the best goal.”

The Role of Diverse Thinking in Bridging the Talent Gap

The talent gap in engineering requires urgent solutions, and diverse thinking can play a crucial role in addressing it.

Ramsdale says, “Engineering is special because everyone has the potential to be a role model. The industry needs people to be curious in how they approach its challenges and how to resolve them with the best positive mindset.”