Nov 24, 2022
Almost 9 in 10 people (87%) trust engineers to tell the truth, says the latest Veracity Index from Ipsos, published yesterday.
Out of a list of 30 different professions, engineers are the second most trusted in Great Britain, up from sixth place (with a score of 84%) in 2021. Engineers are also one of the only 3 professions whose trust score has improved since 2021.
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) worked with the 2022 Ipsos Veracity Index, an annual poll that has measured the trustworthiness of professions in Britain since the 1980s, to include engineering for the fifth year running.
The profession, which makes up 19% of the UK workforce according to EngineeringUK research, is trusted to tell the truth by 87% of the population. This comes ahead of doctors (85%) and closely follows nurses (89%) – resulting in the highest ever ranking since engineering was first included in the survey in 2018, Engineers have recorded similar levels of trust in previous years, including a score of 89% in 2020.
Climbing the ladder of trust
Trust in engineers is equal across genders, with just a one percentage point difference between men and women. Despite this, only 16.5% of engineers and technicians identify as women which shows there is still much work to be done to increase the diversity in the workforce.
Professor Bob Cryan CBE, IET President, said: “Engineers play a central role in everyday life, contributing to advancing the world around us and finding solutions to global challenges such as climate change. It’s fantastic to see that nearly 9 in 10 people trust engineers – this demonstrates the huge level of professionalism and importance of engineers in the UK.
“The last couple of years have highlighted more than ever the vital role engineers play in developing technology and rapid processes, to keep our infrastructure and economy running.
“This recognition of trust by the public is a welcome boost to all those in industry, academia and our communities working together to address the shortfalls in engineer numbers faced across the UK by encouraging the next generation of talent, as engineering continues to be a vital profession across the world.”
Find out more about the 2022 Veracity Index on the Ipsos website.
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