This is Engineering

Published 5th February 2018

This is Engineering targets 13-18-year-olds. It is a digital campaign, for a digital generation with a digital future.  The campaign will challenge young people to consider what engineering means in the 21^st century, presenting it as a dynamic, exciting and varied career with huge opportunities to make a difference to society and how we live. 

This is Engineering is a new multi-year campaign led by the Royal Academy of Engineering in partnership with eleven major engineering organisations. The Design and Technology Association is proud to be a supporter of this campaign.

The campaign will change the perception of engineering amongst young people aged 13-18 through a national advertising campaign on the social media platforms they use everyday. Engineering is an exciting, varied and rewarding career, and yet the UK has a shortage of young people applying for engineering courses and engineering jobs. One of the prime reasons for this shortage is that many people hold outdated views of what engineering is, and what engineers do.

This is Engineering challenges those misconceptions, by presenting a positive image of modern engineering. Through real young engineers it illustrates how engineering is behind many of the things they are already interested in – sport, fashion and tech for example – and that they can follow what they love into engineering, and in doing so help shape the future.

This is Engineering is a key partner in HM Government’s Year of Engineering, which was launched on 15 January. Together the two campaigns will help inspire the next generation of engineers, raising public awareness about engineering’s variety, appeal and impact.

At the heart of This is Engineering are five 40 second videos, each of which profiles a young engineer who is doing something remarkable. Watch Pavlina, Chris, Vinita, Charles and Daniella and be inspired by the power and potential of engineering!

To see the campaign films and images visit: www.thisisengineering.org.uk and follow the campaign on Twitter at @thisiseng.

Please help the campaign by sharing and posting campaign content, and lets help change perceptions of engineering!

Design and technology is the place in schools where engineering education sits best and we are aware of some of the excellent engineering work that is taking place in D&T departments across the country.  Over the forthcoming months, we would like to showcase some of this work in our publications.  If you are aware of work taking place in D&T departments that is worthy of note or indeed are involved in teaching engineering in school, then please get in touch with your stories.