Beatrice Barleon
Head of Policy and Public Affairs, EngineeringUK
Beatrice leads on EngineeringUK’s engagement with government and policymakers, working closely with colleagues across the organisation. She is passionate about improving employment and skills opportunities for all. Beatrice has worked in the charity sector for over 15 years in a range of policy, campaigning and public affairs functions. She joined EngineeringUK in February 2020. Over the years, she has worked on a range of issues from women’s representation in politics to improving employment opportunities for disabled people, including access to apprenticeships.
Party conferences, Autumn Budget and strategy reactions
It’s been an eventful autumn for EngineeringUK’s policy and public affairs team, and there’s no sign of things slowing down any time soon. The team went straight from a busy party conference season into finalising our Autumn Budget submission and progressing work with the Gender Pathways Collective. Here’s a look behind the scenes at what we’ve been up to over the past couple of months and what lies ahead for us.
Party conferences
This year’s party conference season has been a productive one for EngineeringUK, with our team attending all 3 major parties to champion STEM skills and technical education.
First off, at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Bournemouth, I joined a panel on the Industrial Strategy and what the Lib Dems should do differently. This was with the party’s skills and universities spokesperson, Ian Sollom, and the Electrical Contractors Association. Organised by party organisation LibSTEMM, the event was a timely opportunity to discuss the party’s new skills policy paper. STEM education and skills were high on the agenda.
At the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, our panel event with colleagues from the National Engineering Policy Centre was a real highlight. Titled ‘Engineering a green and prosperous future’, it brought together voices from industry and parliament to explore how home-grown innovation and skills can power the Industrial Strategy. We also joined City & Guilds for a roundtable on construction skills with Skills Minister, Baroness Jacqui Smith. Plus we joined Leonardo for a panel on skills investment, and AtkinsRealis for a roundtable with Energy Select Committee Chair, Bill Esterson. These are all great examples of our mutually valuable partnership with our Corporate Members.
Over in Manchester for the Conservative Party Conference, we noticed corporate attendance was lower than previous years. However, there were still plentiful opportunities for constructive dialogue with MPs and shadow ministers at a critical stage in the development of the party’s policy platform. While the party’s policy direction on post-16 education remains somewhat unclear, it was promising to see wide-ranging discussions on the need to expand apprenticeships and vocational training.
Two themes stood out for us across all 3 conferences. First, there is a growing cross-party consensus on the importance of apprenticeships and technical education for the prosperity of the UK. And this was more pronounced than in previous years. Second, the policy landscape on education, skills, and the Industrial Strategy is shifting rapidly, with upcoming strategies and reviews requiring EngineeringUK to remain agile and responsive.
As we reflect on the season, it’s clear that our partnerships and presence are making an impact. The challenge now is to build on this momentum and ensure that we continue to feed into the national conversation on the engineering and technology skills gap.
Autumn Budget submission
Pulling together EngineeringUK’s Autumn Budget submission this year was no small feat – but it was a rewarding one. It draws on months of research, stakeholder engagement and policy analysis. We set out a clear case for investing in STEM education and skills to deliver the workforce needed for the Industrial Strategy and long-term growth.
Our proposals span everything from careers-linked STEM activities in schools to targeted apprenticeship support for SMEs. One of the key asks is for every Key Stage 3 student to have a STEM careers day. This is backed by evidence showing how early exposure can shape aspirations and widen participation. We also called for a new £3,000 grant to help SMEs take on entry-level apprentices in high-growth sectors and for sustained investment in CPD for STEM teachers. We look forward to the Chancellor’s speech on 26 November 2025.
Update from the Gender Pathways Collective
The Gender Pathways Collective held its annual in-person workshop in early October. This brought together over 100 people from around 50 organisations at the Royal Academy of Engineering. We are working collaboratively to drive forward solutions to increase the number of girls progressing into engineering and technology careers. It was incredible to feel the fantastic energy in the room. New perspectives and constructive challenges came from both longstanding members of the collective and critical friends.
EngineeringUK, together with the leading partners, will be taking forward the insights and feedback from the day to further develop the work of the Collective. There was a particular interest in ensuring that the Collective’s voice will be heard when the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report is being published. Ahead of this, plans for a response are proceeding at pace.
If you would like to find out more about the Collective’s work, please do get in touch.
New strategies for post-16 education and skills and the clean energy workforce
In late October, we saw the long-awaited publication of 2 key government strategies in the space of a few days. This was the clean energy jobs plan and the post-16 education and skills white paper. In our reaction, I welcomed both strategies and their recognition of the urgent need to close the skills gap in key areas, not least engineering and technology.
For us, a particular highlight from these strategies was a £182 million investment in engineering skills across 4 years. This will help to address engineering skills shortages that are holding back growth in key sectors. We also welcomed the renewed focus on getting more young people trained at Levels 4 and 5. This is part of the ambition for two-thirds of young people to participate in higher-level learning.
We also look set to have a new level 3 qualification in the form of V Levels, a vocational post-16 qualification that will consolidate BTECs and Advanced General Qualifications. We’re looking forward to feeding into the DfE’s consultation on V Levels. In the meantime, we have cautiously welcomed their announcement as a promising step towards strengthening work-focused training for young people.
Looking ahead
Preparations are well underway for our flagship Big Bang at Parliament reception in the House of Commons later this month. Our talented Big Bang Competition teams from across the UK are ready to present their STEM projects to parliamentarians and industry. We’re looking forward to seeing many of you there. We will also be celebrating Tomorrow’s Engineers Week this month. It’s a great opportunity for the engineering and technology community to come together to inspire the next generation.
Get involved in Tomorrow's Engineers Week
Meanwhile, our work with the Scottish government is progressing nicely. We are currently working with Education Scotland to bring together industry voices to support the development of the STEM curriculum in Scotland later this year.
Aside from our own planned activities, we are keeping a close eye on the flurry of strategies and white papers coming from government before the end of the year. These include the final report for the Curriculum and Assessment Review, the Schools White Paper and the Autumn Budget.
As we head into the final stretch of 2025, we’re looking forward to keeping the momentum of our policy work going.
Find out more about Policy and Public Affairs work
