Engineering is viewed most highly as a career in South Africa, where 47% of the population consider it to be a prestigious career. This is based on the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering ‘Create the Future’ report and presented at the World Economic Forum.
The report surveyed the opinions of 10,000 people outside the engineering profession in 10 economies.
In countries that have recently experienced economic growth, the profession holds huge attraction for the next generation. For example, in both India and Turkey, around 80 per cent of 16 to 17-year-olds say they are interested in engineering. However, that figure drops to just 20 per cent in the UK, where interest is greatest among those aged 45 and over.
This trend is replicated across other, more established, despite the overall appeal of STEM-based careers remaining high.
Helgi Library 
