A REPORT into the perceptions of the best routes into engineering and technology amongst teaching professionals has found an even split between university and apprenticeships routes.

But just over half of teachers (53 per cent) said they were ‘very or fairly confident’ in advising students on vocational or technical pathways, with 32 per cent saying they were ‘not very confident or not at all confident’. Teachers, after parents, are the biggest group giving careers advice to young people in years 10 to 13.

‘School report: What teachers know and think about routes into engineering and technology’ has drawn on research conducted with 800 STEM teachers from across the UK. Teachers surveyed were asked whether they would recommend a career in the sector and what they think the best route in is, why they would recommend different pathways, and how confident they feel advising students about these different pathways.

When asked what the best route into engineering was, an even split of 36 per cent said universities and 36 per cent said apprenticeships with just 4 per cent saying vocational/technical routes such as BTECs/NVQ/HNC/T Levels and 14 per cent not having a preference.

Most teachers (83 per cent) said they knew which subjects their students would need to take in order to have a career in engineering and technology and 85 per cent would recommend this career, giving varied reasons from good pay, progression and job security as key themes.

Three quarters of teachers (75 per cent) said they had some involvement in elements of planning and delivery of careers provision for students at their school or college and asked whether they felt their subject’s curriculum gave them an opportunity to link information about careers into their lessons. Encouragingly over two thirds of respondents, 68 per cent, agreed that it did.