Museums Celebrate UK Year of Engineering

Jessica Juckes, International Training Programme Assistant

2018 has been designated the Year of Engineering in the UK, in an initiative led by the UK government. The project aims to showcase engineering achievements and highlight the value of engineering careers, working especially with young people aged 7 to 16 to challenge traditional perceptions and tackle a lack of diversity in the profession.

The initiative was launched at the Science Museum in London in September 2017 (read more about the launch here).

Beyond the Science Museum Group, The London Transport Museum is also working to promote STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) while celebrating the Year of Engineering. It is opening two new galleries in 2018, one on 23 March, and another in October, entitled Digging Deeper and Future Engineers respectively.  They are also opening a temporary exhibition called The Secret Life of a Megaproject, on the Crossrail project (the upcoming Elizabeth Line, which will service London and the South East).

What skills gaps exist in your country? Which sectors suffer a lack of diversity? How are museums helping to bridge the gap?