To be the best in your field as a business, you must attract the best talent.
Despite rapid innovations in automation technology in recent years, highly skilled and knowledgeable engineers remain the lifeblood of all successful engineering companies. However, the UK faces a significant ‘skills shortage’ in forthcoming years that threatens to undermine its position as a global leader in manufacturing, with the roots of the problem emerging as far back as primary education.
A 2018 report from The University of Manchester and the Royal Academy of Engineers highlighted the annual 20,000 shortfall in graduate engineers the industry faces, with a lack of engineering teaching in primary schools a key factor. The report argued that primary school teachers need more funding and support to embed engineering in the curriculum, with a focus on structured play and tinkering to develop pupils’ enthusiasm for real-life challenges and collaborative experiences.
Now, Enginuity, who create practical training solutions for individuals, schools and colleges, and employers, are harnessing young people’s interest in Mojang Studio’s award-winning Minecraft video game to teach the must-have engineering skills that are the basis for a successful career in the industry.
Minecraft: Engineering In Practice
There are few parents who haven’t heard of Minecraft. The world’s best-selling video game, which has sold over 238 million copies, enables players to create and explore a blocky Lego-style three-dimensional world, to extract raw materials, craft tools and objects, and construct buildings. With an easy-to-use interface, it’s an incredibly popular platform among children, who can quickly master the skills, making Minecraft the ideal vehicle for teaching key skills in problem-solving and collaboration.
Enginuity have seized on the popularity of Minecraft to bring engineering alive in an engaging and memorable way. Their award-winning Skills Miner games and practical lessons are mapped to the 12-14 school curriculum and give young learners the chance to engage in engineering challenges, with a focus on:
- Solving practical problems
- Working independently or in teams
- Achieving sustainability
- Working to a defined budget
- Learning about engineering jobs from engaging avatars
Enginuity’s Minecraft games are free-to-play in school or at-home on Minecraft Education Edition and are a great way to enthuse young people about engineering in an appealing virtual world with which they can readily identify.
Play now at https://enginuity.org/innovation-lab/skills-miner/
Hone-All: Passionate About Upskilling The Engineers Of The Future
At Hone-All, we are passionate about shaping tomorrow’s engineers, today. We recognise that with the right investment in education and skills, from primary schools to the shop floor, we can play a key part in developing a generation of talented engineers who will grow the UK’s reputation as a manufacturing powerhouse and protect local communities through employment.
To find out more about our involvement in engineering initiatives or our innovative services, please get in touch.
