This threat is compounded by a continued year-on-year fall in numbers of engineering students, with a massive 45 per cent decline in the number of electrical engineering students between 2001 and 2006.

Of those students taking an electrical engineering degree, around 60 per cent do not pursue a career in the industry. It is little wonder that firms are crying out for talented employees who are skilled in design and innovation.

Vital to the future of the UK’s industry, is the need to communicate more effectively the benefits of a career in engineering to the younger generation.

Schools have a responsibility to inform young children about skilled work and to highlight the importance of maths and science as subjects. Additionally, the industry itself, with government backing, needs to do more. Getting into schools and opening an early dialogue with students is crucial.

Industry heads are slowly waking up to the crisis with schemes being put in place to encourage students. Projects such as the E3 Academy (endorsed by the IET) are being collectively backed by companies in order to offer sponsorships to undergraduates studying electrical energy engineering.

Additionally, the industry must promote itself much more efficiently. With so much currently reliant on effective engineering – advancements in aerospace, the development of sustainable technology and the 2012 Olympics, amongst others – it is important the industry begins to bang its own drum.

By pro-actively engaging with students and marketing the positives of engineering, the industry will begin to pull itself out of the current skills crisis.

How do you think we should be addressing the skills gap? Email editor@engineeringcapacity.com with your views.