Key facts references
Page 1
- Engineering is a critical industry and employs 6.4 million people in UK (=19% of all jobs) Engineering and technology workforce - May 2025 update
- Engineering and technology jobs predicted to grow in all UK regions between now and 2030 faster than other occupations Engineering skills needs – now and into the future
- Net zero ambitions and growth of green jobs increasing demand further in the last 5 years Engineering skills needs – now and into the future
- +48% Job adverts mentioning ‘green skills
- +55% Job adverts for ‘green engineering jobs’
- Up to 750k new jobs needed by 2030 to support the transition to net zero A net zero workforce (Climate Change Committee)
Page 2
- 1 in 5 jobs in the UK are engineering yet engineering vacancies account for 1 in 4 of all job adverts in the UK (25%) Engineering skills needs – now and into the future
- Women make up 16.9% of the engineering and technology workforce in the UK Engineering and technology workforce - May 2025 Update
- Women make up 56% of other occupations Engineering and technology workforce - May 2025 Update
- People from minority ethnic groups make up 14% of the engineering and technology workforce in the UK Engineering and technology workforce - May 2025 Update
- People from minority ethnic groups make up 18% of other occupations Engineering and technology workforce - May 2025 Update
- Disabled people make up 14% of the engineering and technology workforce in the UK Engineering and technology workforce - May 2025 Update
- Disabled people make up 19% of other occupations Engineering and technology workforce - May 2025 Update
- People from lower socio-economic backgrounds make up 24% the engineering and technology workforce in the UK Engineering and technology workforce
- People from lower socio-economic backgrounds make up 26% of other occupations Engineering and technology workforce
- Women/girls make up 9% of engineering T Levels students T Levels results 2024
- Women/girls make up 17% of engineering apprentices Apprenticeship pathways into engineering 2023/24
- Women/girls make up 18% of undergraduates taking engineering degrees Engineering in higher education
- Women/girls make up 23% of physics A level students A level and Scottish Highers results 2024
- Women/girls make up 37% of maths A level students A level and Scottish Highers results 2024
- Women/girls make up 49% of physics GCSE students GCSE and Scottish National 5 results 2024
- Women/girls make up 50% of maths GCSE students GCSE and Scottish National 5 results 2024
Page 3
- GSCE uptake over the page 9 years Trends in GCSE entries and attainment (FFT Education Datalab)
- Maths, biology, chemistry, physics remain in top 10 most popular A levels A level and Scottish Highers results 2024
- Girls make up half of those taking GCSE maths and physics, but this drops at A level: 37% maths, 23% physics GCSE and Scottish National 5 results 2024 and From A levels to engineering
- There is also a shortage of STEM teachers in schools, particularly in deprived areas State of engineering report 2020 (archived)
Page 4
- Interest in schools science has declined since 2019 and a gender gap has opened up Science Education Tracker 2023
- For girls the decline is from 75% to 65% Science Education Tracker 2023
- 36% of girls say science is not for them Science Education Tracker 2023
- Only 12% of girls say being an engineer fits well with who they are Science Education Tracker 2023
- Just 16% of girls think engineering is suitable from them Science Education Tracker 2023
- Only 29% of girls are interested in an engineering career compared to 63% of boys. 23% and 52% for tech Science Education Tracker 2023
- Schools students are doing less practical science Science Education Tracker 2023
- Practical science is the main motivator for young people studying science for 55% of years 7 to 9 Science Education Tracker 2023
- Only 26% of GCSE students do hands-on practical work at least once a fortnight, down from 44% in 2016 Science Education Tracker 2023
Page 5
- Women make up 17% of engineering apprentices Apprenticeship pathways into engineering 2023/24
- Women make up 52% of apprentices across all subjects and sectors Apprenticeship pathways into engineering 2023/24
- Minority ethnic groups make up 14% of engineering apprenticeships Apprenticeship pathways into engineering 2023/24
- Minority ethnic groups make up 16% of apprenticeships across all subjects and sectors Apprenticeship pathways into engineering 2023/24
- Not yet reached pre-pandemic levels, despite positive uptick in 2021 Apprenticeship pathways into engineering 2023/24
- 97.1K engineering apprenticeships started in 2023/24
- Down 13% since 2016/17
- Down 6% since 2018/19
- Only 37% of young people know what T Levels are Anyone for T? Awareness of T Levels in England
- Estimated shortfall of 43,500 industry placements Anyone for T? Awareness of T Levels in England
- Only 28% of employers know what T Levels are and understand what they involve Anyone for T? Awareness of T Levels in England
- 38,615 engineering and tech undergraduates Engineering in higher education
- 5th most popular subject in UK 6% of all undergraduate entries Engineering in higher education
Page 6
- 36% of school students say they know a fair amount about what engineers do - 32% for tech Science Education Tracker 2023
- Just 16% of girls think engineering is suitable for them Science Education Tracker 2023
- 46% of school students are interested in an engineering career - 38% for tech Science Education Tracker 2023
- 35% of school students are interested in a career that will help reduce the impact of climate change Science Education Tracker 2023
- 64% of school students are interested in climate change issues Science Education Tracker 2023
- Only 12% of young people attended a careers event with an employer in past 12 months Securing the future: STEM careers provision in schools and colleges in England (archived)
- Young people who attended a careers event with an employer in the past 12 months were twice as likely to know what engineers and scientists do at work Securing the future: STEM careers provision in schools and colleges in England (archived)
- Young people who attended a careers event with an employer in the past 12 months were almost 3 times as likely to be interested in an engineering career Securing the future: STEM careers provision in schools and colleges in England (archived)
- School students who attended one or more STEM careers activity are 3.5 times more likely to know what people working in engineering do Our careers, our future (archived)
- School students who attended one or more STEM careers activity are 3.4 times more likely to consider a career in engineering Our careers, our future (archived)
Infographic dashboards
Engineering and technology workforce
- 6.4 million people work in engineering and technology jobs in the UK, that’s 19% of all jobs Engineering and technology workforce - May 2025 update
- Engineering and technology jobs predicted to grow in all UK regions between now and 2030 faster than other occupations Engineering skills needs – now and into the future
- 25% of all job adverts are for engineering and technology roles Engineering skills needs – now and into the future
- 1 in 5 jobs in the UK are in engineering, yet engineering vacancies account for 1 in 4 adverts Engineering skills needs – now and into the future
- 48% increase in job adverts mentioning ‘green skills’ Engineering skills needs – now and into the future
- 55% increase in job adverts for ‘green engineering jobs’ Engineering skills needs – now and into the future
- Up to 725k net jobs are needed to support the transition to net zero A net zero workforce (Climate Change Committee)
- 16.9% of the workforce in engineering and technology are women vs. 56% in other occupations Engineering and technology workforce - May 2025 update
- 14% of the workforce in in engineering and technology are disabled vs 19% in other occupations Engineering and technology workforce - May 2025 update
- 14% are from a minority ethnic background compared to 18% in other occupations Engineering and technology workforce - May 2025 update
- Occupation and industry UK workforce breakdown Engineering and technology workforce - May 2025 update
- 13% working as an engineer in the engineering and technology industry
- 10% working in the engineering and technology industry but not as an engineer
- 6% working as an engineer in a different sector
- 71% neither working as an engineer nor in the engineering and technology industry
- Regional distributions and geographical specialisms Engineering skills needs – now and into the future
- Young people’s interest in STEM careers Science Education Tracker 2023
- Science: 44% girls, 47% boys
- Technology: 23% girls, 52% boys
- Engineering: 29% girls, 63% boys
- Maths: 32% girls, 45% boys
- 83% of students were more interested in engineering jobs because of The Big Bang Fair The Big Bang Fair evaluation
- 31% of students were more interested in science, engineering and tech because of The Big Bang Fair The Big Bang Fair evaluation
- 19% of students were more interested in engineering careers because of Energy Quest Energy Quest evaluation
Transition to net zero
- 6.4 million people work in engineering and technology jobs in the UK Engineering and technology workforce - May 2025 update
- 25% of all job adverts are for engineering and technology roles Engineering skills needs – now and into the future
- 48% increase in job adverts mentioning ‘green skills’ Engineering skills needs – now and into the future
- 55% increase in job adverts for ‘green engineering jobs’ Engineering skills needs – now and into the future
- Up to 725k net jobs are needed to support the transition to net zero A net zero workforce (Climate Change Committee)
- 77% of students agreed that The Big Bang Fair had shown them solutions to environmental problems The Big Bang Fair evaluation
- 71% of students said that Energy Quest had taught them about the role engineers play in developing technologies for renewable energy sources Energy Quest evaluation
- Projected new jobs in net zero workforce Net zero workforce
- Top 3 environmental topics young people are interested in Science Education Tracker 2023
- 42% climate change
- 31% biodiversity loss
- 22% air pollution
- Gender breakdown of young people’s interest in the environment Science Education Tracker 2023
- Girls: 47% climate change, 37% biodiversity loss, 21% sustainable fashion
- Boys: 38% climate change, 24% biodiversity loss, 21% transport
- 64% of young people are interested in climate change issues Science Education Tracker 2023
- 35% of young people are interested in a career that will help reduce the impact of climate change Science Education Tracker 2023
Women in engineering
- 16.9% of the engineering and technology work force are women, compared with 56.2% in other occupations Engineering and technology workforce - May 2025 update
- A higher proportion of women working in engineering and technology (21%) are from UK minority ethnic backgrounds compared to other occupations (17%) Engineering and technology workforce - May 2025 update
- Girls’ top 3 environmental sustainability topics Science Education Tracker 2023
- 47% climate change
- 37% biodiversity loss
- 21% sustainable fashion
- Young people’s interest in STEM careers Science Education Tracker 2023
- Science: 44% girls, 47% boys
- Technology: 23% girls, 52% boys
- Engineering: 29% girls, 63% boys
- Maths: 32% girls, 45% boys
- Proportion of girls making up GCSE students by subject GCSE results 2024
- Maths 50%
- Physics 48%
- Computing 22%
- D&T 31%
- Proportion of girls making up A level students by subject A level results 2024
- Maths 37%
- Physics 23%
- Computing 17%
- D&T 32%
- 12% of girls say being an engineer fits well with who they are compared with 38% of boys Science Education Tracker 2023
- Interest in schools science for girls has declined since 2019 75% to 65%, while boys have remained consistent Science Education Tracker 2023
- 36% of girls say science is not for them compared with 30% of boys Science Education Tracker 2023
- Just 16% of girls think engineering is suitable for them compared with 44% boys Science Education Tracker 2023
- 18% of students starting undergraduate engineering degrees are women, compared to 56% across all subjects Engineering in higher education
- Proportion of first year engineering undergraduates who are female by engineering subject Engineering in higher education
- Aeronautical and aerospace engineering – 14%
- Chemical, process and energy engineering – 29%
- Civil engineering – 22%
- Electronic and electrical engineering – 14%
- General engineering – 21%
- Mechanical engineering – 12%
- Production and manufacturing engineering – 11%
- 9% of engineering T Levels entries were girls, compared to 44% across all subjects T Level results 2024
- 17% of engineering apprenticeship starts were by women, compared to 52% across all subjectsApprenticeship pathways into engineering 2023/24
