| TRUE | if the statement agrees with the information |
| FALSE | if the statement contradicts the information |
| NOT GIVEN | if there is no information on this |
Is there REALLY a skills shortage in the engineering industry, or are employers just not paying up?
It is common knowledge in the engineering industry that there's a skills shortage. Apparently. 50% of the entire workforce is due to retire within the next five years. How are we going to fill the positions if nobody has the skills? So more needs to be done to encourage young people to take up engineering and technology jobs if the sector is going to be able to fulfil its need. But actually, is there more to it than meets the eye?
Marcus Body, a consultant in the Brand and Insight team at employer marketing company Thirty Three (and engineering graduate), believes that employers need to stop shifting the blame onto jobseekers' skills, or apparent lack of. Let's start with degrees. Does a degree have any value anymore? Marcus says: "There's an enormous elephant in the room in graduate recruitment, which is that some universities are better than others."
This implies that you could be studying engineering right now at university and already be at a disadvantage if your institution isn't prestigious enough. He goes on to say that: "The reality is that first stages of screening are done by people -either in-house or at third party suppliers - who know nothing about engineering, so they will use crazy criteria, from degree grade through to spelling." If this is the case, then it's no surprise when companies have problems with recruiting a new generation of engineers and technicians. Could it be that companies are simply being far too fussy with their criteria? They cannot expect a graduate to be able to replace someone who's about to retire -and has probably been in the job for over thirty years - like-for-like.
According to The Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) Annual Skills Survey for 2014, approximately 40% of its respondents indicated that they have trouble recruiting engineering graduates. When asked why they don't expect to be able to recruit suitable candidates over the next 4 to 5 years, over 70% of respondents said it was due to lack of suitably qualified candidates, and half of the respondents said shortages or difficulties with specific skills. The worrying term used here is the word 'specific'. How specific are companies willing to get with jobseekers' requirements?
On the other hand, apprenticeships seem to be increasingly popular among companies looking for fresh talent, which is reassuring. The lET's Annual SkBs Survey says that over the next five years, over half answered that they believe they wB employ more apprentices in technical roles than they have in the past. Marcus Body isn't surprised by this statistic. He is: “Apprenticeships are ready taking off - loads of good ones in engineering, and employers are keen. The difficulty is in getting the infrastructure together to manage those apprentices -trainers. supervisors etc." Over a third of respondents in the 2014 Skills Survey said that they would focus more on apprentices and graduates when recruiting the people they need in the next four to five years -so the demand could be there very soon, which is good news for graduates. Eventually, these things come down to money. Marcus Body reckons that if the UK industry offered a higher salary, there wouldn't be any shortages at al: “Sectors steal the best graduates with more money Before we can declare a skills shortage, we should double the salary offered and see if they’re still unfillable.” However, companies
are reluctant to use this as a tactic to lure in graduates. Less than 20% of the lET's survey respondents said they would create more attractive salaries when asked how they would recruit the people they need over the next 4 to 5 years.
There's also one more area where any shortages in the engineering industry can be rooted: education. There are plenty of news stories out there saying that schools need to work harder to attract students towards STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths). However, does the 'STEM' discussion need to really come to an end? Marcus states that the whole discussion of 'STEM' as one thing entirely unhelpful. “There is no such thing asa 'STEM' employee. There are areas that are harder to recruit (like very specific disciplines of engineering!, and areas where we have a surplus- eg, the 20,000 per year psychology graduates we produce and don't have psychology jobs for.’ It seems the consensus is quite uncertain.
It can be debated that companies are using the skills shortage argument when in reality they should spend more time and effort recruiting or luring graduates with better salaries. Some companies are ahead of the game by offering more apprenticeships to get staff up to a suitable standard before the predicted retirement influx in the near future. There is no shortage of actual people. Applications to study engineering at UK universities having increased by seven per cent on the previous year. On the other hand if businesses want to replace staff due to retire: they're going to need to give a little slack on the application process.
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Question Focus: Looking for a comparison across years that the passage never makes
Correct Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why this is correct: The passage tells us about the results of the 2014 survey only. It does not compare the 2014 survey with earlier years or say it was more extensive.
Passage Reference: According to The Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) Annual Skills Survey for 2014, approximately 40% of its respondents indicated that they have trouble recruiting engineering graduates. When asked why they don't expect to be able to recruit suitable candidates over the next 4 to 5 years, over 70% of respondents said it was due to lack of suitably qualified candidates, and half of the respondents said shortages or difficulties with specific skills.
Common Mistake: Students often choose FALSE because they assume the writer would mention an increase if it existed. But there is no comparison at all, which makes this a Not Given trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'Annual Skills Survey for 2014' = Statement: 'more extensive in 2014 than in previous years'
Tips: If a statement talks about comparison over time, check carefully that two time periods are actually mentioned.
Key Vocabulary:
- extensive = covering more
- respondents = people who answered
Question Focus: Percentage contradiction
Correct Answer: FALSE
Passage Reference: When asked why they don't expect to be able to recruit suitable candidates over the next 4 to 5 years, over 70% of respondents said it was due to lack of suitably qualified candidates, and half of the respondents said shortages or difficulties with specific skills. The worrying term used here is the word 'specific'.
Why this is correct: The passage clearly says over 70%, which is a large proportion, not a small one. This directly contradicts the statement.
Common Mistake: Some students miss the number and focus only on the idea of qualifications. This leads to a Contradiction trap because the size of the proportion is reversed.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'over 70% of respondents' = Statement: 'a small proportion of respondents'
Tips: Always underline numbers and percentages in TFNG questions. They are often tested.
Key Vocabulary:
- suitably qualified = having the right qualifications
- proportion = percentage
Question Focus: Future possibility supported by survey data
Correct Answer: TRUE
Passage Reference: The lET's Annual SkBs Survey says that over the next five years, over half answered that they believe they wB employ more apprentices in technical roles than they have in the past. Marcus Body isn't surprised by this statistic.
Why this is correct: The passage clearly says employers believe they will employ more apprentices in the future, which matches the idea of it being possible.
Common Mistake: Students sometimes overthink and look for a guarantee. But the statement only says it is possible, which fits the passage. This is a Synonym match.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'believe they will employ more apprentices' = Statement: 'it is possible employers will recruit more apprentices'
Tips: Words like believe, expect, and likely usually support statements about possibility.
Key Vocabulary:
- apprentices = trainees
- recruit = hire
Question Focus: Opinion reported but not stated as essential
Correct Answer: NOT GIVEN
Passage Reference: Marcus Body reckons that if the UK industry offered a higher salary, there wouldn't be any shortages at al: 'Sectors steal the best graduates with more money Before we can declare a skills shortage, we should double the salary offered and see if they're still unfillable.' However, companies are reluctant to use this as a tactic to lure in graduates.
Why this is correct: The passage reports Marcus Body's opinion, but it does not say that a focus on higher salaries is essential. The passage does not make this a proven requirement.
Common Mistake: Students often treat a strong opinion as a fact. This is a Qualification trap because the word essential goes further than the passage.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'Marcus Body reckons' = Statement: 'is essential'
Tips: Be careful with strong words like essential. Check if the writer states it as a fact or just reports an opinion.
Key Vocabulary:
- reckons = thinks
- lure = attract
Question Focus: Negative evaluation using paraphrase
Correct Answer: TRUE
Passage Reference: Marcus states that the whole discussion of 'STEM' as one thing entirely unhelpful. 'There is no such thing asa 'STEM' employee. There are areas that are harder to recruit (like very specific disciplines of engineering!, and areas where we have a surplus.
Why this is correct: Marcus Body clearly says that treating STEM as one idea is entirely unhelpful, which shows a negative effect on understanding shortages.
Common Mistake: Some students look for the exact words 'negative effect'. But IELTS often uses paraphrase. This is a Synonym match.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'entirely unhelpful' = Statement: 'has a negative effect'
Tips: If the writer strongly criticises an idea, that usually supports statements about negative effects.
Key Vocabulary:
- unhelpful = causing problems
- surplus = too many
General Tips:
- TFNG statements follow passage order. Use the location of the last answer to find the next one faster.
- To choose between FALSE and NOT GIVEN, ask: does the passage clearly say the opposite? If not, choose NOT GIVEN.
- Pay close attention to percentages and quantities. Words like 'small' and 'large' are common traps.
- Strong words like 'essential', 'always', or 'only' often signal NOT GIVEN or FALSE answers.
The rest of this explanation is for members. Sign in free to read why the other options are wrong, key words and tips.
Sign in to read the full explanation