Tomorrow's Engineers

Tomorrow's Engineers
Name	Tomorrow's Engineers
Formation	2016
Type	Educational outreach charity
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Region served	United Kingdom
Parent organization	Royal Academy of Engineering

Tomorrow's Engineers is a United Kingdom-based initiative that promotes careers in engineering and technology through school engagement, employer partnerships, and public campaigns. It aims to inspire young people to pursue engineering pathways by connecting pupils with role models, resources, and work-experience opportunities. The programme collaborates with industry, professional bodies, and educational institutions to address skills shortages and broaden participation among underrepresented groups.

Overview

Tomorrow's Engineers operates as a national campaign that links pupils with employers, mentors, and learning resources. It brings together organisations such as the Royal Academy of Engineering, EngineeringUK, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Institution of Civil Engineers, and Institution of Engineering and Technology to create coherent progression routes for students. The initiative features activities hosted by companies including Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, BP, Siemens, and Arup, and works alongside schools, colleges, and universities like Imperial College London, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, and University of Manchester to align curricula with workplace expectations. Tomorrow's Engineers also engages professional societies such as the Royal Society, Royal Academy of Arts, Royal Society of Chemistry, Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, and Women in Engineering organisations to champion diversity.

History and Formation

The programme was established under the auspices of the Royal Academy of Engineering in response to reports by bodies including EngineeringUK and the Council for Science and Technology highlighting skills gaps in sectors represented by National Grid plc, Network Rail, Thales Group, Airbus, and Rolls-Royce Holdings plc. Early steering groups included members from the Department for Education (United Kingdom), representatives from the Association for Science Education, and leaders from engineering firms such as Siemens plc and Amey plc. Initial pilots were informed by outreach precedents set by programmes like STEM Learning, Big Bang Fair, RAEng Ingenious, and school partnerships modelled on collaborations with The Open University and City, University of London. As the programme matured it incorporated evaluation frameworks influenced by the Education Endowment Foundation and workforce analyses by OECD reports.

Programs and Initiatives

Tomorrow's Engineers runs multiple strands including careers resources, work experience brokerage, teacher support, and promotional campaigns. Key offerings mirror models used by National Grid, BT Group, and GKN for apprenticeship promotion and include employer-led visits similar to initiatives from Siemens Healthineers and Jaguar Land Rover. The programme curates digital resources aligned to syllabi from examination boards such as AQA, OCR, and Edexcel and supports teacher professional development in partnership with organisations like Teach First and Association for Science Education. It coordinates large-scale events similar to the Big Bang Fair and organises sector-specific routes reflecting industries such as aerospace (partners like Rolls-Royce and Airbus), construction (partners like Balfour Beatty and Kier Group), and energy (partners like National Grid and Shell plc). Diversity-focused initiatives draw on models from Women in Engineering and STEMettes to increase participation of women and ethnic minorities.

Partnerships and Outreach

The initiative maintains partnerships across industry, academia, and professional institutions. Corporate partners include Siemens, BAE Systems, BP, Arup, Mott MacDonald, and Laing O'Rourke; academic partners include University College London, University of Leeds, and University of Sheffield; and institutional partners include the Royal Academy of Engineering, EngineeringUK, Institution of Civil Engineers, and Institution of Engineering and Technology. Outreach channels leverage national events like the Big Bang Fair, regional careers hubs coordinated with Local Enterprise Partnerships, and employer networks such as the Confederation of British Industry. International collaboration has involved benchmarking against initiatives by the National Science Foundation, Deutscher Ingenieurverein, and Australian industry-academia programmes.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluations draw on longitudinal studies and programme monitoring to measure reach, progression to apprenticeships, and higher-education enrolment. Metrics reference datasets maintained by Higher Education Statistics Agency and outcome indicators used by Education Endowment Foundation and Office for Students. Independent assessments have compared intervention effects with workforce analyses published by EngineeringUK and skills forecasts from UK Commission for Employment and Skills. Reported impacts include increased pupil awareness of occupational routes used by companies such as Rolls-Royce and National Grid, improved teacher confidence comparable to professional development models from Teach First and STEM Learning, and growth in employer engagement reflecting trends identified by the Confederation of British Industry.

Funding and Governance

Funding is a mix of philanthropic grants, corporate sponsorship, and institutional support. Major contributors have included the Royal Academy of Engineering, corporate partners such as BP, Siemens, and Rolls-Royce, and charitable trusts similar to those associated with the Wolfson Foundation and Gates Foundation-style philanthropic models in the UK. Governance involves oversight by boards and advisory panels drawn from partner organisations including representatives from Royal Academy of Engineering, EngineeringUK, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and leading employers like BAE Systems and Arup. Financial and strategic direction aligns with UK accountability practices and stakeholder reporting frameworks employed by institutions such as the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.

Category:Engineering education in the United Kingdom