New president will spearhead IMechE`s skills campaign
Professor William Banks has been appointed the 123rd president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), succeeding outgoing president, John Baxter. Banks will step down as Professor of Advanced Materials in Strathclyde University’s Mechanical Engineering Department later this year.
Banks (above) will continue the IMechE’s campaign to encourage more young people into engineering. Currently tens of thousands of engineers are estimated to be needed to fill vacancies in the UK, from engineering technicians to senior engineering posts.
In his inaugural speech, Banks said that "there has been an 8% drop in the number of registered engineers in the UK in the past decade and the IMechE are working hard to reverse this trend.
"I am committed to drive the development of the curriculum and ensuring that the content of courses reflects the real requirements of industry," he added. "Above all, I will be ensuring that school students are enthused with the value of engineering as a potential career in the context of our sustainable society.’’
