Britain is set to celebrate a ‘Year of the Engineer’ in 2018 to help inspire young people to pursue a career in construction, the Transport Secretary pledged on Monday.

Patrick McLoughlin told delegates at the Conservative party conference that the Year of the Engineer will also serve to recognise the great achievements of engineers in this country.

Senior transportation figures welcomed the initiative, but some have questioned why the country has to wait more than three years for the celebrations to begin.

“In 2018, when Crossrail is complete, I want us to do something special,” Mr McLoughlin said. “I want a year of the engineer to excite a new generation of Brunels, Stephensons and Telfords.”

Aecom’s managing director Paul McCormick said: “Anything that increases the prominence of civil engineers in the UK and inspires the next generation will only benefit our industry. But it would be good to do this sooner than 2018 as we are entering a period of major growth.”

He added that the sector must now identify and raise the profile of the country’s “current Stephensons or Brunels” who could help promote what engineers do.

Arup director Alexander Jan said that such an initiative cannot come soon enough, given the current demands on the engineering profession. “Celebrating a Year of the Engineer is a good idea and will help to promote the sector,” he said. “But maybe we need a few practice events first so that we can hit the ground running come 2018.”

Taylor Woodrow Civil Engineering director Dave Booker also welcomed the idea. “All the indications are that we are moving into a significant period of investment and engineers will be at the core of that,” he said.

He called on the construction industry to work together to speak about the benefits of a career in engineering with one voice.

CIHT’s director of education and membership Sue Stevens said: “In the UK we tend to be too modest about the achievements of our engineers, many of whom are related to transport. A ‘Year of the Engineer’ would be an excellent way of bringing those achievements to the fore and showing young people what a varied and exciting profession engineering is.”

Institution of Civil Engineers' director general Nick Baveystock said: "We look forward to collaborating on this to acknowledge the engineering greats of the past and present and inspire the engineers of the future.”   

♦ A new National College for High Speed Rail will be based in Birmingham and Doncaster, the Government announced on Tuesday, to help supply apprentices for the HS2 project. The college will open in 2017.

(Photo: Crossrail)

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