A new independent organisation has been established for the first time to advise Government and the devolved assemblies on engineering education across the UK.

Hosted by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the group known as Education for Engineering (E4E) will enable the engineering profession to speak with a single voice to provide clear and cohesive advice in all matters relating to education in engineering.

E4E membership is made up of the Professional Engineering Institutions, the ETB, EC^uk, The Royal Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Physics.

The UK Government and the devolved Assemblies now have policies for the promotion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers and on STEM teaching in schools and colleges.

The professional engineering community needs to speak with a clear and consistent voice to provide relevant views on education issues if it is to impact on these policies, which affect the formation of future engineers and technicians.

Seeking opinion across the breadth of this community, E4E will ensure that Government receives the highest quality advice on STEM education from a single source so that the education system produces people who are well equipped to keep pace with the technological changes in society.

Dick Olver FREng, Chair of the Policy Group for the new organization, says, “E4E is addressing a critical area that will support future economic development.

Unless the UK is able to educate, train, attract and retain good engineers at every level, our innovation skills will falter and opportunities will be lost.

“The science and maths communities are already well placed to influence policy development through SCORE and ACME respectively, and E4E will represent engineering in the same way.”

The E4E website can be found at educationforengineering.org.uk.