Engineering firms should turn to the non-graduate market to ensure they attract talent, the ’Recruiter Requirements Report’ carried out by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) reveals.

While 66% of engineering jobs require a degree, just 1% mention apprenticeships among specifications, the research from the IET shows.

Given the imminent rise in university fees and UCAS’s revelation of a 15% drop in UK-born students applying to university this year, the IET has urged employers to widen their focus in recruitment.

Employers are already on their way to achieving this, however, a recent study from the Engineering Council UK suggests, showing that 88% of employers in the sector encourage employees to obtain professional qualifications through work-based learning.

Stephanie Fernandes, policy advisor at IET, says: “Companies could do better when it comes to seeking talent.

“Work-based learning is held in great esteem by the industry and companies need to do more to demonstrate the great prospects that come with a career in engineering and to make it known that the graduate route is not only way to achieve this.”