As the UK grapples with a deepening engineering skills crisis, Morson Group continues to tackle the challenge head-on by inspiring the next generation of engineers to lead the way. The company’s annual Early Careers Development Programme (ECDP) conference in Manchester exemplifies its commitment to bridging the skills gap.
Coinciding with Career Development Month in November, the event brought together nearly 150 engineers, architects, and project managers from Morson Projects, Waldeck, and Ematics. Designed to challenge, inspire, and encourage participants, the conference welcomed new recruits alongside those already advancing through the award-winning programme. Senior colleagues and mentors also joined, engaging in problem-solving activities, engineering challenges, and thought-provoking discussions about career possibilities.
The event comes amid stark warnings from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) about the UK’s lack of technical and engineering skills to deliver major infrastructure projects. It also echoes recent calls by IMechE President Dr Clive Hickman OBE for targeted investment in engineers to support the government’s Industrial Strategy. This alignment of skills programmes with industry needs is critical for developing the talent required to meet future demands.
“Our ECDP is totally focused on aligning the skills we’re developing to the talent that key industries need,” explains Chris Burke, Executive Director at Morson. “These early careers professionals are given the opportunity and responsibility to work on live projects from day one, with the full support and guidance of experienced senior engineers who are committed to helping them be the best version of themselves and reach their full potential.
“We are consistently and continuously developing the engineering skills the UK needs across a full range of disciplines, with cross-disciplinary competences where possible. Through the ECDP, we’re taking positive and proactive steps to address the skills gap with ambitious, homegrown talent. Our annual ECDP conference is a celebration of this effort and a call to arms for the current cohort to embrace its challenges and opportunities.”
To date, more than 125 engineers have progressed their careers through the programme, which is built around a competency framework tailored to engineering disciplines and workplace skills. Participants can complete modules at their own pace and in their preferred sequence, providing the flexibility to align with individual career aspirations.
“Engineering is a broad church,” Chris continues. “Our goal is to attract the best talent and encourage each individual to map their own path to success. With trained mentors and collaborative project teams, we support each engineer every step of the way, but ultimately, this is their programme and their career; it’s up to them to make it their own."
The programme’s success is clear: over four years, 95 engineers are currently progressing through the ECDP, and its alumni have contributed to projects as varied as the new Tempest Aircraft and Network Rail’s nationwide Asset Management programme. This proactive approach has helped Morson maintain an exceptionally low staff turnover rate of just 5 per cent.
“The conference is just one way we’re bringing early careers engineers together to connect and see the bigger picture,” Chris adds. “We know the UK needs more engineers, but it also needs leaders who can manage projects and make bold decisions. Our ECDP and the conference are an invitation to be part of a transformative approach—building on the UK’s engineering legacy and shaping its future.”