![\"Students](\"http:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/solidworksblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/03\/4497167582_90857bdb07_o-615x409.jpg\")
<\/p>\nEngineers are a prescient bunch, equipped with a knack for taking the long view. It comes with the territory, yet making headway on the upcoming challenges facing the engineering industry means narrowing the focus and taking action in 2016.<\/p>\n
Here are eight of the biggest challenges that lie ahead.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 1. The lack of female engineers<\/strong><\/p>\n Just six percent of the UK\u2019s engineering workforce is female<\/a>. That\u2019s the lowest proportion in Europe. It\u2019s a problem \u2013 and not just in terms of equality. Numerous studies have shown that mixed teams (whether of race, gender or age) are naturally more creative and better equipped to solve problems. Diversity is good for the bottom line.<\/p>\n The lack of female engineers is an issue that\u2019s deep-rooted and stubborn. Female engineer numbers have hardly budged since the early nineties. Figures from UCAS<\/a> show that only 15 percent of today\u2019s engineering students are female.<\/p>\n What can you do to tackle the problem? Read our article\u00a0Females in tuition: tackling gender imbalance in UK engineering<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 2<\/strong>.\u00a0The shortage of total engineers<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s not just female engineers that the UK is lacking. The total number of suitably qualified engineers is way lower than what it needs to be. Tackle the skill shortage and engineering could be worth<\/a> \u00a327bn per year to the UK by 2022,but that requires a steady supply of wide-eyed, career-ready engineers.<\/p>\n The Royal Academy of Engineering<\/a> suggests the UK needs more than one million new engineers by 2020 \u2013 250,000 new engineers per year. That will require doubling the current annual total of engineering graduates and new apprentices. Engineering firms must do more to promote engineering as a career option, whether that\u2019s partnering with educational bodies or expanding in-house apprenticeship schemes.<\/p>\n Read more on that topic:\u00a08 tips for budding engineers<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 3. Staff churn<\/strong><\/p>\n Hiring more engineers is one thing. Keeping existing engineers happy is another. Back in March 2015, Gayle Brewer \u2013 senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Central Lancashire \u2013 warned<\/a> that engineering firms must do more to manage psycho-social risks within their organisations.<\/p>\n Brewer claims that employees in male-dominated industries were particularly at risk from stress, bullying and boredom and were more likely to suffer in silence \u2013 leading to a culture of acceptance. Failure to address psychological well-being could lead to absenteeism and higher than average employee churn; both of which affect productivity and bottom line.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 4. Fueling domestic growth in renewable energy<\/strong><\/p>\n The UK wants to import less energy, meaning it must generate more of its own. The engineering industry is crucial to meeting the challenge. With continued growth in renewable energies and nuclear widely predicted, the demand for skilled engineers will be high.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 5. Reducing energy use<\/strong><\/p>\n The flip-side of the energy coin is the need to reduce consumption of fossil fuels and improve energy efficiency \u2013 especially following the climate change agreements made at COP21<\/a>. \u00a0Currently almost half of the UK\u2019s energy consumption is used in the heating of buildings. Creating more innovative, effective insulation systems, while reducing the energy used in construction and engineering, will play a key role in helping the UK to meet its targets.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Expedition](\"http:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/solidworksblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/03\/Expedition_36_flight_engineer_Chris_Cassidy-615x408.jpg\")
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