As the issue of talent shortages in STEM skills (science, technology, engineering and maths) continues to rage across the globe, could the engineering sector be facing a retirement cliff as it loses some of its top talent?

Peter Davies, Managing Consultant at Berkley Engineering discusses how more needs to be done to pipeline the future talent. With companies like Siemans recently introducing an engineering education and careers portal for schools as a means of bridging the skills gap, there seems to be a positive future. But is this enough?

To highlight the problem, it was recently estimated that, in America alone, STEM jobs will grow by 17% between 2008 and 2018, compared to just 9.8 percent-growth in non-STEM roles. However, at the current pace, the U.S. simply will not produce enough workers to fill the jobs.

So why is there a STEM gap? In a recent online poll by Our Future Mobility Now, the majority of respondents agreed it is because there isn’t enough promotion of how important STEM skills are in the younger generation. In order to prevent a possible retirement cliff then, there is a need for those in the sector to do more to reach out to the emerging employment generation and educate them on the importance of these skills sets. An initiative like Siemans is a step in the right direction, but more still needs to be done.

For those already established in the industry though, this skills gap means there are more employment opportunities currently available. However it’s important that individuals do not become complacent in their continued skills growth. As more is done to close the gap in emerging STEM talent, current professionals also need to look at continued development themselves to remain competitive. This is perhaps more important in the technology and engineering areas which are constantly evolving. So what can you do to remain a contender in the race for top skills?

Keep up to date

With constant changes and technology updates in the engineering industry, it’s vital that employees receive the relevant training and development to meet new demands and work with new machines. As an individual it’s imperative that you stay ahead of new developments by keeping up to date with industry relevant news and identify any areas where a level of ‘upskilling’ may be needed.

Look at training options

Identify any potential training courses which will help develop your career. The Institute of Engineering and Technology, for example, offer career training and professional development courses to help keep individuals grow their skills. Don’t forget to approach your current employer to gauge any possible training and development they can help with. This would also provide a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your eagerness to progress in your current role and could lead to promotional opportunities.

Keep abreast of changes in education as well. Ultimately, the emerging workforce is likely to have had training in the newest industry developments. The more education and training changes you are aware, the better placed you will be to compete against future candidates.

Utilise your network

It’s also advisable that you make the most of the knowledge base you have to hand through your network. The most valuable competitive advantage individuals in the engineering sector will have against future emerging talent is the experience and connections which have been built up during the course of their career. Make sure you are attending any relevant networking events and liaising with your peers to getting as much industry exposure as possible.

Build your online profile

Finally, look at how you can maximise your online presence to ensure you are visible to the right audience. With social media channels such as LinkedIn and Twitter increasingly being used to source top talent it’s imperative that you have a strong online profile. Make it easy for potential employers to find you by using keywords relevant to your experience, current role and skills.

While it is unclear whether the engineering sector will be able to address the issue of STEM skills gaps before it really starts to see an impact from the retirement cliff, the current workforce need to prepare themselves to compete with a potential influx of emerging talent. By following these tips above, you will be in a stronger position to get some of the best engineering roles out there.

Click here for vacancies in Engineering.

Peter Davies is Managing Consultant at Berkley Engineering.

Recent press reports have highlighted the potential that The Bazhenov holds to match and even exceed the shale production of North America but Russia is not an easy country to do business with – and nor is it an easy country to work in due to the very strict visa regulations.  Additionally most of the drilling equipment is in Canada or North America, – as is the expertise – and so it is difficult to see at the moment how this shale boom could be facilitated.

A lot will depend on which of the major international oil companies are prepared to partner with Russia – if they get a US or European partner then they may be able to gain some traction in attracting expertise to work there.  However given the recent difficulties BP have had out there, it is clear that other international players will tread carefully.

If Russia is to succeed it is going to have to offer some pretty big incentives for skilled engineers to move there and it will also have to radically review its immigration and visa policies – the iron curtain may have opened but it is still a fairly closed country.

Click here for vacancies in the Oil & Gas sector.

Dominic Morris is Director of Global Energy Business at Twenty Recruitment Group

It is no secret that the oil and gas market is suffering a major skills shortage and it is also no secret that employers who want to hold onto top talent will often use money as a retention tool when someone resigns.

In my experience, job seekers who decide to actively look for another role have a number of reasons for doing so – and it is rare that it is purely about money. More often, while salary will be important other factors such as people, progression and culture will come into the mix.

If your move is purely money related and you are 100% happy with everything else in your existing role then you may as well accept a counter offer but in all honesty it’s probably easy to just ask for a pay rise rather than go to the trouble of securing another job offer first.

If it’s a frustration at a lack of career progression, the company culture and the people then it doesn’t matter how much the buyback is your frustrations will still exist – you’ll just have a bit more cash for your pain.

What will probably happen is that you’ll be asked to outline all the reasons which led you to your decision to resign. You’ll be reminded that the very least you owe them is an opportunity to understand your decision. Slowly but surely a number of more senior individuals will also want to talk to you and suddenly all the reasons for your unhappiness and the fact that your salary is woefully under market rate, will be magically wiped away. Because guess what? Everything is going to be different and just the way you wanted it to be – if only you’d stick around to see it.

This is what’s called “The Utopia Zone” – you start to feel pleased that you are obviously so important – and you crumble. What comes next is ‘The Real Deal’. There’ll be the compromises in the promises that you’ve been made. Then there will be the interviews with your potential successor (which they’ll be doing just in case you do decide to leave) who has a similar skill set to you but is on more money than you already. Then all of a sudden you realise that you are surrounded by the same people, with the same issues, the same lack of real progression and the same culture.

So why do companies counter offer? Very simply, in most cases it is hard to replace someone (particularly in this skill short market) during the notice period and recruitment is seen (wrongly) to be more expensive than counter offering. It’s easier to counter offer and throw some money at the problem than replace you.

So think very carefully, when you next look to move, about exactly why you are unhappy as you will almost certainly get a counter offer in this market. Why not just look for a job once and be happy – rather than go through the pain of the process twice to achieve the same result?

Click here for vacancies in the Oil & Gas sector.

Dominic Morris is Director of Global Energy Business at Twenty Recruitment Group

However… this won’t be just any sailing trip of a modern vessel – Clive Palmer is planning a complete re-enactment of the titanic trip from 1912. That’s everything from costumes to food to music, chinaware, class structure – the whole shebang.

Tickets are for sale to take part in this momentous journey and if you want to see how the other classes lived, you can buy tickets that will allow you to soak up the experience of living in each of the class divisions.

Titanic II is currently being constructed at the Jinling Shipyard in China – the ship is to set sail in 2016.

The Engineer have re-published their original article, released the day Titanic sank, read it here.

The question is – would you buy a ticket?

The UK is set to benefit from up to £100bn worth of investment in the development of North Sea oil and gas assets, a much welcomed boost needed to reverse what had become a sharp decline in output. But with skill shortages and an ageing workforce what does this mean for UK recruitment?

Dominic Morris, Director of Global Energy Business at Twenty Recruitment Group sheds light on what this will mean for engineering professionals within the oil and gas sector.

According to a recent article in the FT, Norway’s Statoil has already been given the go ahead to lead a $7bn investment to develop what will be the largest new offshore development in our sector of the North Sea for over ten years.  Additionally, companies such as Talisman GDF Suez and Dana Petroleum have also received a green light for new projects.

However, the blot on an otherwise very positive landscape is the continuing problem of skill shortages.  Talent is now a global commodity and contractors are finding rich pickings outside the UK.

While historically, there were 5/6 major oil companies who controlled the industry, over the last ten years smaller and mid-sized operators have formed upstream parts of their business as it has been a good revenue stream and we so have seen an influx of new operators – who need the same skill sets.  In the UK, we also have an ageing workforce and with two crashes in oil prices,  a lot of candidates left the industry when projects dried up in 2007/8. Today’s candidates have therefore had more opportunity- and faster traction for their career development.

While it’s true to say that many oil companies are ramping up their training programmes, it’s the mid career professional with 5-10 years’ experience that is currently in demand and that is obviously putting an upward pressure on salaries and day rates.  Geophysicists for example can earn £1500 per day as a contractor – four years ago it was less than half of that.

For the oil and gas sector it seems that the war for talent is only just beginning – and that engineering professionals with oil and gas experience will find themselves viewed as pretty hot property.

Click here for vacancies in the Oil & Gas sector.

Dominic Morris is Director of Global Energy Business at Twenty Recruitment Group

Now that 6/10 interviews in the US are hosted by video, it’s no surprise that the trend is starting to set here in the UK. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) platforms such as Skype are increasingly becoming a popular way to carry out interviews, especially as organisations become more international.

Whilst Skype is a widely used video network for catching up with family or friends, it can be quite a different experience for a candidate being interviewed for their dream job. Sitting in front of a screen where all you can see is yourself staring back could prove to be quite a distraction for many candidates.

Studies have shown that whilst this way of interviewing is a relatively new experience to most job seekers, employers prefer that candidates look directly into the camera to create a sense of ‘direct eye contact’, mimicking the traditional face-to-face interview approach.

Pre-recorded interviews are also a popular way for employers to save time and money. According to a BBC report, UK employers spent an average of ’10 working days interviewing, 16% of the working week travelling to meet candidates and £3,286 reimbursing candidates’ travel expenses’.

With video interviewing on the increase, it seems that prepping for today’s candidates might be more about camera practice than about what they actually know.

Top 10 tips for video interviews:

1. Look into the camera. You may or may not be able to see your interviewer but they can see you! Make sure you look and talk directly into the camera, it’s fine to look at them (if you can see them) whilst they are talking but no employer wants to see a candidate talking to him/herself – engagement is key!

2. Wear appropriate interview clothes. Although you may be at home, don’t take this as a green flag to wear what you want. Dress smartly and sit up straight, this will also help with your confidence and get you in the right frame of mind for the interview.

3. Set up your environment. Find a place where you know you won’t be distracted or interrupted - background noise or having people walking around behind you will only make you look unprofessional and like you haven’t prepared for the interview in advance. 

4. Test your internet connection & sound. Make sure your computer or iPhone has a good enough connection in advance so that you can carry out the interview without disruption. Make sure the sound is working and that the microphone isn’t picking up any unwanted background noise.

5. Skype name. Just like your email address, make sure your Skype name is suitable and professional, ‘BoozySuzie1989′ is probably not the best first impression!

6. Camera practice beforehand. Don’t wait until your in your interview before you start thinking about where to look and what the camera is focusing on. Set the camera up beforehand and practice speaking and looking into it, make sure your camera is at eye level and is at the right distance from you.

7. Answer the video call professionally. As you would greet your interviewer in a face to face interview or answer a telephone interview, make sure you are friendly but professional – again looking into the camera.

8. Be confident. Show your confidence in using the technology and speaking to your interviewer via video – creating a controlled environment will not only impress your interviewer but will also help you relax and feel confident.

9. Stay time conscious. During your interview it’s important to ensure you don’t spend too long on your answers. Make sure you answer the question fully but don’t spend too much time on unnecessary or irrelevant details.

10. Prepare for your interview. Do all the usual preparation that you would for a face to face interview. Research the company; practice questions and answers beforehand; pre-plan questions to ask them; and make sure you’ve fully read the job specification!

This isn’t the first self-driving car that’s made headlines, companies such as Google have also experimented with driverless vehicle technology. Google’s tests have now clocked up an impressive 300,000 accident free self-driving miles. They are now looking to get  their driverless technology accepted in California to be road tested in real-life driving situations.

In the UK, the department of engineering science at Oxford University are seeking to do the same. At the moment The Oxford RobotCar UK project is testing the vehicle at Begbroke Science Park in Oxfordshire but the team are looking at testing on UK roads.

The self driving car operates using an iPad dashboard, when the car recognises familiar driving routes it then informs the driver that ‘Car able to take control’, the driver is then able to ‘accept’ and the car takes over the driving.

3D Model Enviornment

The techonology works by creating a 3D model of it’s environment, this then enables the car to ‘remember’ routes and then re-create the journey.

Other technology such as self-parking vehicles have already been introduced into the UK.

Read the full article at BBC News Technology.

We’ve caught up with the Department of Work & Pensions to get the latest advice on workplace pensions and to get some top tips on how to make your money work harder for you:

Many of us are worried about money at the moment – and all of us need to make our money stretch a bit further.  When it comes to making plans to save for the future, many people find themselves putting it off because they fear they have too little to make it worthwhile, or because they just don’t feel confident about financial planning.

The good news is that there are some easy and affordable ways to becoming more money-savvy:

• Stay enrolled in your workplace pension.   By 2018 all UK employers will have to offer a workplace pension and will be automatically enrolling workers into it.  You don’t have to stay opted in – but if you do, your employer has to contribute to it by law.  And you’ll usually get tax relief from the government too – so you really do get extra money!  You can find out more at www.gov.uk/workplacepensions

•  Keep track of your money and switch, switch, switch.  Many savings accounts offer great deals when you open them, but these can quite quickly fall. Check out up to date interest rates in your newspaper or online at places like MoneySavingExpert.com.  Mortgages aren’t so easy to switch but its still worth while reviewing at least once a year, sooner if you’re near the end of a fixed rate deal. Try online consumer experts for recommendations on different types of savings products.  This way you’ll be sure to get the maximum return on your precious savings.

•  Put your savings into an ISA.  ISAs can be a great tax-free way of saving.  You can save from just a few pounds a month so they’re ideal if you just want to regularly put away a small amount.   Ask your bank for their best rates and deals on ISAs – but don’t forget to shop around!

•  Top up your pension.  Ask your employers’ pension provider whether it will let you make extra contributions to your pension so that it grows faster.  Yet another way to get tax relief!

Top Tip

Use all these tips and your money will be working harder for you.  But the Top Tip is to stay with your workplace pension.  If you pay in to that, your employer has to pay in too – now that really is a good deal! 

No more dripping water across bathroom floors with Dyson’s new hand wash and dryer innovation.

Dyson unveiled on Monday their new ‘Airblade Tap’, along with two other new products.

The new system uses infrared sensors to determine whether or not you are putting your hands underneath to wash or dry them. Similar products already exist in airports, train stations and restaurants, but with a price tag of £999, you won’t see this new Dyson product in every bathroom.

Find out more information at Wired.co.uk, where they tested the new Dyson Airblade Tap.

Business leaders have revealed their proposed route for a £12bn Crossrail 2 train line spanning London.

The London First business group proposed the line would run from the south-west to the north-east of London

Under the proposals, the line would run from stations in Hertfordshire to parts of Surrey and open in the early 2030s.

In central London, it would pass through Euston, King’s Cross, Angel, Tottenham Court Road and Victoria under London First proposals.

It is hoped the line would relieve the Victoria line and much of the Piccadilly and Northern Tube lines.

Crossrail 2 would be linked with walkways to connect Euston, King’s Cross and St Pancras stations rather than building a new station.

London First created a working group in October 2011 to examine the case for the new rail link beneath central London.

Continue reading about the new plans at BBC News.

Find out how this will transform London with Crossrail’s recently released images.