Engineers Ireland is participating in the Engineers for Europe (E4E) project, financed by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ programme.

E4E is an alliance for innovation bringing together 13 partners from eight European countries representing the different facets of the engineering profession including higher education institutions, vocational education and training bodies, and industry and professional bodies. TU Dublin and Engineers Ireland are representing Ireland. 

E4E project partners meeting in Madrid to progress the Skills Strategy.

Identify future trends and needs

The E4E project has the ambition to establish a European Engineering Skills Council, identify future trends and needs in skills and competences for engineers and develop innovative training on transversal skills for the profession. This ambition is articulated by the European Engineering Skills Strategy – the latest version of which is available on https://engineers4europe.eu/

At the core of the E4E project are the following questions:

• What is the current situation concerning the competence requirements of engineers, the existing skills mismatch, and activities/measures of companies/individual engineers to facilitate competence developments?
• What are the future needs concerning technical and non-technical skills of engineers in a context of global megatrends, ie digitalisation, decarbonisation, demographic change, and internationalisation/globalisation?

This Skills Strategy is constructed on the input of extensive primary and secondary research that was conducted by all partners in the first year of the project. Surveys (primary research) and literature/data reviews (secondary research) have been undertaken to acquire qualitative data as the basis for definition of skills gaps/competence requirements.

Engineers Europe (formerly FEANI) and the project partners conducted an online survey between May 15 and July 15, 2023. The results provided a first general idea of the current trends and major challenges when it comes to engineering competencies for the future. A second iteration of the survey will be issued in the coming months.

Digitalisation and decarbonisation

It did not come as a surprise, that digitalisation and decarbonisation are main impact factors that have a tremendous effect on the expert knowledge that will be required by future engineers.

In addition, however, it has become clear that while engineering in the future will still have to be based on a high-quality basic engineering/technical education, the importance of non-technical skills will grow. Interdisciplinarity, entrepreneurial skills, multi-cultural competences, holistic approaches, and an understanding of the need for lifelong learning are just a few examples.

The need for continuous professional development (CPD), has been identified as a major challenge but also a major opportunity for the individual engineers, companies, higher education institutions, and engineering training providers.

The research has also highlighted that given the shortage of highly qualified personnel in engineering, there is a clear need for the diversification of the engineering workforce, ie not only by bringing more women into engineering (gender), but also by stimulating the inflow of qualified technical personnel from non-EU countries (ethnicity), and by creating a higher permeability of the educational systems (social).

Conclusions and recommendations

The Skills Strategy research and analysis has drawn the following conclusions and recommendations:

• In the coming years (2023-2027), sustainability and environmental considerations, coupled with the increased adoption of automation and AI (Artificial intelligence), will shape the engineering landscape;
• Renewable energy and green infrastructure will be key areas of innovation, demanding engineers with a deep understanding of sustainable design and circular economy principles;
• Curriculum changes and CPD must align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
• Practical experience through internships and apprenticeships is a recognised need for engineering students. Universities and the industry must collaborate on tailored curricula to meet market demands, with businesses taking a lead role in reskilling and upskilling efforts;
• Soft skills or People skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and communication are identified as essential for a successful engineering career;
• Diversity and inclusion policies, along with problem-based learning opportunities, foster ethical decision-making skills and broader talent representation. Scholarships, mentorship programs, and diversity/inclusion training are key tools for attracting under-represented groups to engineering;
• The evolving job market calls for adaptability, with newly created roles and transformed existing occupations. The engineering disciplines of electrical/electronic, ICT, and agronomic/environmental engineering face significant future challenges due to engineer shortages. Skills gaps in the local labour market are considered a more substantial barrier to business transformation than a lack of investment capital;
• Lastly, partnerships between industry and educational institutions, coupled with increased R&D investment in emerging technologies, offer effective solutions to address digital, green, resilience, and entrepreneurship skill shortages in engineering.

To learn more about the E4E project, go to: https://engineers4europe.eu/