The UK government announced that 2018 was the Year of Engineering, a national year-long campaign to increase awareness and understanding of what engineers do among young people aged 7-16, their parents and teachers.
The campaign complemented the IET’s Engineer a Better World campaign, encouraging young people to take a closer look at engineering, challenge stereotypes and showcase the variety and creativity in this innovative sector. The IET supported the Year of Engineering, particularly through its Engineering Open House Day event.
Throughout the year, Year of Engineering partners highlighted some of the many different ways that individuals and organisations can #inspireanengineer. This resulted in over 1 million direct experiences of engineering being offered to young people and big increases in the percentage of young people who said that engineering is a desirable career. The IET is working with government and industry to develop the legacy of the Year of Engineering post-2018, building on the momentum the campaign has generated.