The UK’s pool of driverless car engineer talent could be a barrier to the government’s plan to turn the UK into a hub of development in driverless car technology
A single autonomous car engineer adds £10million to a company’s value, according to a driverless car networking manager; that's based on a shortage of autonomous car engineeers and how much the industry values this sector.
So low is the pool of autonomous car engineers that it’s expected that by 2025, just 417,000 skilled workers will be supplied to a global industry with demand for 1,159,000.
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The Intelligent Mobility Skills Strategy, a report released late last year by Catapult Transport Systems, alleges the shortfall, and offers solutions such as reducing the transport industry’s hunger for traditional, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)-skilled workers; instead focusing on digitally-skilled workers, as well as apprenticeship schemes, in order to quell the deficit.
Alex Lawrence-Berkeley, organiser of ‘Self Driving Track Days’ – a networking event aimed at grassroots driverless car technology projects – highlighted the shortfall in talent at the most recent Track Day, alongside the showcasing of latest autonomous technologies from across the globe.
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The UK government has been aiming at making the UK the global hub for the development of autonomous cars, and has allocated funds to several aspects of driverless cars’ development, including cyber security, testing and driverless public transport solutions.
Lawrence-Berkeley also expressed uncertainty about funding due to be announced in coming weeks as the ‘purdah’ period prevents any new funding being announced or awarded ahead of the snap election on 8 June.
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Economics.
As it is, they expect to pay people a pittance, which is why people prefer to work in finance, law or other more lucrative but often parasitic professions.
This article is typical engineering industry PR, trying to encourage more people into the profession to drive salaries lower.
lobster wrote:
Pittance? Everyone I know who works in automotive engineering is very well paid. I worked in the industry for over 20 years, although not directly on cars but in the manufacturing processes that built them, I was paid a lot more than I am now, I only left because I wanted less hours and more holiday leave. Plenty of former colleagues, particularly those in quality control can name their price.
Hands up all those that have never.....
Autonomous cars are coming, we won't have much choice but to adopt them at some point, as insurance companies will price us out of driving ourselves. Full automation on the roads is at least a decade away, as your average car owner has a car worth about £6k, there won't be anything they can afford for some time.
On the subject of ordering a car (instead of owning one), there's going to have to be a few million sat around waiting to be used on a bank holiday or weekend. And the commuting time frame may have to change a bit to accommodate everyone. I personally think car ownership will increase (if the price of an autonomous car can be made affordable) as a fully autonomous car won't require any sort of licence.
Buy a real drivers car now, because soon you won't be allowed to drive one ever again........
Who cares?
Pushed like crazy by the automotive industry but no-one wants one.