Ruth Spellman - CEO, Institute of Mechanical Engineers

The leaders who succeed in times of turbulence are those who are agile enough to adapt to flux and who are not threatened by change, so says Ruth Spellman, CEO of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

Spellman believes it is inevitable that the public sector will be required to deliver better quality in 2008 at the same time they are experiencing greater cost pressure. She says “it’s similar to the challenges that we faced in the early 1990’s. The good news is that the middle managers who thrived at that time went on to become the public sector leaders of today”.

Taking a global view to the war for talent Spellman says “there has never been more demand for skilled engineers around the world, especially in the innovative fields like carbon technology.” It will be important for governments, educational institutions and employers to work together to determine how the supply of future engineers is going to be secured.

Spellman argues that because young economies are developing so fast “we have to invest in skills at every level, the engineering skills problem is global and cannot be solved by focusing on basic skills, that strategy takes 20 years to pay off, and the problem is already acute.”

The UK can learn from other developed countries in Europe and the US who invest in work skills that can be utilised immediately. We still have an underinvestment problem, and too many people lack the basic skills to be employable.

Echoing the sentiment of other public sector CEOs, Spellman is confident that the next generation of workers is looking more seriously at the public sector as a career option. “They are looking at the detail of the offer, not just the money” says Spellman. Being given responsibility early, having flexibility in their role and, perhaps most importantly, having a sense that their skills are contributing directly to the quality of people’s lives are all highly valued by young employees.

To make the most of this positive sentiment Spellman believes that today’s leaders “need to be highly visible on the shop floor, helping to develop the skills of these young people who will lead our organisations one day. We were there in the 1990’s, as the middle managers, and we need to retain that connection today to ensure we pass those skills on.”

http://www.imeche.org/