Question: Why do you think not many people get involved with engineering and how do you think we can improve kids understanding of engineering throughout schools in England to get more young scientists involved in engineering?

Ben Drumm answered on 24 Jun 2013:

I think the general public tends to thing of ‘engineers’ as people who repair boilers or who do you MOT, NOT as professionals with degrees who design complicated pieces of equipment and manage large projects (which to me seems more appealing!).

I suspect a lot of people get put off before they really know what Engineering professionals (i.e. the likes of the 5 of us on I’m an Engineer) do for a living.

Events like this are good to get across what being an engineer is all about, and (hopefully!!) help to get rid of the stereotype of the bloke in a boiler suit and hard hat…

In some countries (like Germany) the title ‘Engineer’ is protected i.e. garbage men can’t go around calling themselves ‘waste disposal engineers’ which helps to protect the way the profession is seen…I think this is a good idea, and there is a LOT of chat about this in Britain, but I’m not sure if anything will be done soon!