Jun 15, 2017
With a hung parliament and a delay to the Queen’s speech, it remains to be seen how much of the parties’ manifestos they will be able to enact. Whether any party will be able to make progress on agendas such as the Industrial Strategy, skills and apprenticeships is uncertain.
Some good news for the engineering sector is that many of the MP ambassadors for engineering and skills regained their seats. They include engineer Chi Onwurah MP, former physics teacher Carole Monaghan MP and former Science and Technology Committee Chair Stephen Metcalfe MP.
In addition, we have a number of new MPs with an interest or expertise to contribute to ensuring the supply of tomorrow’s engineers.
In Saffron Walden, Kemi Badenoch MP won the seat for the Conservatives. Kemi studied Engineering at the University of Sussex. She has been recognised for her work in the technological field and has spent time working at an electromagnetic design company. She has served as a governor of two inner London schools and mentors women who wish to pursue careers in technology.
STEM teacher Layla Moran MP won the seat of Oxford West and Abingdon for the Liberal Democrats. She read Physics at Imperial College London before going on to complete a PGCE at Brunel University. She also holds an MA in Comparative Education from the Institute of Education at UCL.
The Labour party candidate, James Frith MP, was elected in Bury North. As the Chief Executive of a social enterprise he founded to improve young people's learning, life and career chances after school, James should be well placed to contribute significant expertise to the debate on the provision of careers information, advice and guidance.
We look forward to working across the political parties to ensure that young people have the information they need, when they need it, to allow them to choose to become tomorrow’s engineers.
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