Semta launches maths qualification to boost engineering degree success
07/04/2011 Enginuity
Students enrolling on engineering degrees can now be better prepared, and 'drop-out' rates reduced, thanks to a new maths qualification announced today by Semta.The new Maths for Engineering (M4E) qualification has been developed by a consortium including the Semta-led Engineering Diploma Development Partnership, the Engineering Professors' Council (EPC) and the Royal Academy of Engineering.
M4E teaches maths in the context of engineering applications, preparing students for the maths elements of university degree courses. It is accredited as a stand-alone qualification, making it ideal for Year 12/13 students seeking engineering degree success. M4E equates to an AS level in guided learning hours but carries a UCAS tariff of 90 points due to its greater challenge.
Dr Geoff Parks, Director of Admissions at Cambridge University and an engineer, said: "We see a lot of students applying through the A-level route whose applications are disadvantaged because the maths they're studying is light on what we'd like them to be doing to prepare for an engineering degree. Often the relevant units have not been available to them or they have been ill advised. The content of M4E is guaranteed to be what's needed."
The qualification will help support the ongoing demands of engineering employers for a flow of highly skilled employees. Semta research shows the need for an extra 13,400 newly qualified engineers, scientists and technologists annually between now and 2016 to maintain sustained growth of engineering in the UK.
Philip Whiteman, Chief Executive of Semta, said: "We are really pleased with the development of this qualification. It is an exemplar of partnership working, with employers and education bodies coming together to deliver a qualification that exactly meets the needs of the industry.
"The engineering industry has an increasingly important role to play in future UK economic success. So, Semta is working with employers and education to ensure the right talent pipeline through initiatives like M4E, the development of practical skills among graduates and the growth in apprenticeship places."
For further information, please visit: www.semta.org.uk
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