Molly's journey into engineering didn't begin with a plan. It began in her grandad's garden shed a workshop that quietly sparked her fascination with how things are created.

At school she followed her curiosity, leaning into both maths and art, and eventually typing a simple phrase into Google: "engineering and art combined." That search led her to Product Design Engineering at the University of Glasgow and the Glasgow School of Art, where hands-on making met technical engineering fundamentals and opened a pathway she never knew existed.

Graduating straight into Covid, Molly found herself navigating uncertainty, juggling part-time jobs at IKEA and a design manufacturer while trying to keep her creative and technical skills alive. That persistence led her to the Net Zero Technology Centre in Aberdeen, where she discovered the world of hydrogen, digital technologies and the energy transition.

Now a Project Engineer working on government-funded innovation programmes, Molly reflects on learning an entirely new industry from scratch, overcoming imposter syndrome and stepping onto her first major panel at Offshore Europe, something she once thought she'd never be ready for.

In this episode, Josh and Molly explore the power of transferable skills, why students shouldn't fear non-linear routes, and how creativity, engineering and net zero technologies intersect in a rapidly changing world.

This is a story of adaptability, self-belief and carving a place in the future of sustainable engineering.

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Across the UK, employers are struggling to find the engineering talent they need while thousands of young people and mid career professionals are still looking for the right opportunity.

We talk about a skills gap, but what if the real problem is how the system is set up to develop and connect talent in the first place.

In this special episode, Josh brings the full recording of a live webinar he hosted with The Open University: a panel conversation built around the Open University Business Barometer 2025 and what it reveals about the scale of the challenge. The report is based on responses from more than 2,000 senior decision makers and shines a light on where shortages are being felt most, and where flexible education could unlock new capability.

Josh is joined by leaders from industry and academia who are working with this reality every day.

They explore why 58 percent of engineering and construction employers are reporting skills shortages, how an ageing workforce and a missing mid career layer are creating pressure, and why so many engineering graduates never actually enter engineering roles.

Across the conversation, the panel dig into themes that sit at the heart of Engineer a Career:

• how we make engineering careers more visible and human
• how we attract and retain women and under represented groups
• how flexible routes such as Open University study and apprenticeships can support people already in work,
• what it really takes for employers to treat learning as a benefit rather than a tick box.

This episode goes beyond the headlines.

The panel explore mindset versus qualifications, the image problem engineering still carries, the expectations of Gen Z around purpose, culture and development, and the opportunity to widen access for groups who have been overlooked for too long including career changers, returners and those currently not in education, employment or training.

If you are an employer trying to build capability, an educator rethinking how to support learners, or a current or future engineer trying to understand where you fit in, this conversation will give you data, examples and ideas you can act on.

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Featuring :- Josh Robertson, Founder, Engineer a Career Mark Cameron, CEO, The 5% Club Faye Banks, Global Head of Transmission and Distribution, Turner and Townsend Gareth Neighbour, Senior Lecturer in Engineering, The Open University Neil Arlett, Head of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Biffa

Why I Started Engineer a Career, What We've Built, and How We Fix the Skills System Gap

Starting Engineer a Career was never about creating content. It was about closing a gap I kept seeing everywhere across industry, a gap between the talent we have and the opportunities that never reach them.

In this first solo episode, Josh reflects on his own journey: from a chartered mechanical engineer shaped by internships at Doosan Babcock, to building engineering teams on nuclear projects, to working in sustainability at SSE Transmission.

He shares how early exposure to real engineering transformed his career, why mentoring young engineers became a natural part of his path, and how those experiences laid the foundations of Engineer a Career.

Josh breaks down what's happened since launching the platform:

thirty podcast episodes, ten live events, strategic partnerships with AECOM, the University of Strathclyde and the Energy Institute, a national Student Ambassador Network, and the creation of The Talent Network, now home to more than 170 engineering students.

But this episode goes deeper.

Josh explains why the UK's "skills gap" is really a system gap:

124,000 engineers needed every year, 44,000 graduating, and too few gaining any real exposure to industry. He shares the stats, the stories, and the reality facing students today, as well as the opportunity engineering has to rethink early engagement.

In the mailbox, Josh answers questions from the Engineer a Career community, from using LinkedIn well, to overcoming imposter syndrome, to what he wishes he'd known at university.

This episode is a reflection, a call to action, and a reminder of why this work matters.

It's about building confidence, creating visibility, and showing the next generation exactly what they can become.

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A fascination with the world beneath our feet sparked Lucy's journey into geology.

Encouraged by an inspiring geography teacher, she explored the subject through university taster courses and went on to study at the University of St Andrews, where hands-on fieldwork in Scotland's quarries and landscapes cemented her passion for understanding the ground we build on.

After graduating, Lucy discovered how geology meets engineering. She joined Fairhurst as a Graduate Engineering Geologist, where her work took her from Scotland's infrastructure projects to the remote island of St Helena, helping to make communities safer through rockfall mitigation.

Now a Chartered Engineer and Senior Geotechnical Engineer at Gavin and Doherty Geosolutions, Lucy reflects on her career so far, from overcoming early challenges to championing women in engineering and mentoring the next generation.

In this episode, Josh and Lucy explore what makes engineering geology such a vital part of sustainable construction, why confidence comes through action, and how curiosity can shape a lifelong career in engineering.

This is a story of discovery, determination, and how following your interests can quite literally change the ground you stand on.

Resources mentioned -

The role of engineering geology in delivering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357755266_The_role_of_engineering_geology_in_delivering_the_United_Nations_Sustainable_Development_Goals

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Leaving school with no qualifications could have been the end of Faye's story but it was only the beginning.

Starting on a factory floor, she watched engineers fix problems and realised she wanted to be one of them. Determined to change her future, Faye worked days in manufacturing and studied at night, earning nine GCSEs before securing an electrical engineering apprenticeship.

Five years later, she had built the foundations of a career that would take her across manufacturing, water, and energy and ultimately to the Royal Academy of Engineering as a Visiting Professor and Research Committee Member.

In this special National Engineering Day episode, Josh and Faye discuss visibility, opportunity, and the power of finding your passion. They explore how apprenticeships, education, and industry must work together to inspire the next generation of engineers and why there's never been a more exciting time to join the profession.

This is a story of confidence found through action, of perseverance, and of proving that there's no single route into engineering.

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Dyslexia made traditional learning difficult, but time spent in his grandfather's workshop and a single school project sparked a lifelong passion for engineering. Neill's path began with an NC in Mechanical Engineering at North Glasgow College, followed by his HNC and HND. This was all after a series of early rejections that could have stopped him in his tracks.

Neill went on to earn a cadetship with Zodiac Maritime, spending six months at sea before joining Expedite and later Babcock International.

Today, at SSE Renewables, Neill works on wind and solar projects that power communities and drive the clean energy transition.

Together, Josh and Neill explore the importance of resilience, continuous learning, and doing what you love even when the route isn't straightforward. This is a story for anyone who's ever been told "no" but kept going anyway.

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Rob Bell joins Josh to explore the engineering mindset. Curiosity. Problem solving. The joy of figuring out how things work and how to make them better. Rob shares how a hands on childhood and parents who fixed everything set him on a path to mechanical engineering at the University of Bath, a year in Annecy, and eventually a career in broadcasting that opens secret doors into the world's most fascinating projects.

Together they unpack what makes engineering everywhere. Aircraft checks that strip a 747 to the bones. The teamwork that runs a submarine. How Tower Bridge blends old and new. Why the title engineer is held differently across countries. And why more engineers means more innovators.

Rob also talks about filming at nuclear power stations and his trip to ITER in France, where the global fusion effort is taking shape. If you are a student or early career listener, you will hear simple, practical advice. Follow what makes time fly for you. Build your network. Say yes, then learn fast.

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Welcome to The Engineer a Career Podcast!

In this episode, Josh is joined by Andrew Aveyard, Energy Sector Lead at The University of Edinburgh.

Listen now as Andrew shares his career journey into engineering and how he has built a career both within industry and academia, particularly focusing on the energy sector.

Josh and Andrew discuss the skills gap across UK engineering, the untapped technologies that could prove to be key on the UK's journey to a more sustainable future and how innovation is part of Andrew's vision for the future of energy.

Join Engineer a Career for a conversation about possibility, opportunity and exploration.

Welcome to The Engineer a Career Podcast, Andrew Aveyard.

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