The University of the West Indies has seen lower enrolment for engineering degrees for both undergraduate and graduate programmes. Data from the University's Statistical Digests show that from academic year 2015 to 2024, enrolment fell by 38%. The enrolment of males fell by 34% while the enrolment of females fell fast, by 44%.
The enrolment of females across all the engineering programmes has been on average about 35% for the past 10 years. However, for undergraduate programmes the figure is about 29%, while it increases to 42% for postgraduate programmes over the same period.
This data highlights two key issues in the energy sector at the moment: the lack of female representation and the declining number of new engineers.
The energy sector is often seen as a heavily male-focused industry. This is also driven by the lower number of women in the energy sector, which is partly due to the underrepresentation of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. The UWI data clearly shows this. But it is more encouraging to see female enrolment getting closer to parity at the postgraduate level (though still falling short).
Enrolment across all faculties at UWI is declining, not just engineering. There are a few possible explanations for this. Firstly, changes in GATE funding has had an impact on students being able to afford tertiary education, effectively lowering the ability of students to enter UWI.
Secondly, COVID-19 has also had an effect on academic performance. This, however, is a trend that may possibly be reversed, since students have been back at school full-time for several academic years.
A third, significant but often overlooked factor affecting enrolment is the changing demographic composition of the country. Over time, the birthrate has declined, meaning that fewer children are being born, which translates to fewer students entering and leaving the school system. This is a challenge for many tertiary education institutions, not just in T&T but all around the world.
Less graduate output from the University does create challenges, however, which can have a cyclical effect. The declining rate of engineers produced creates a real catch-22 situation in T&T. The decline in industry activity over the years often leads to young engineers not getting jobs right after graduation. This results in students seeking other types of employment and other educational interests. But a challenge faced by the industry is that when projects do arise, companies find it difficult to find qualified engineers. This is a result of the lower output of graduates, but also because many qualified and experienced engineers have been leaving T&T to seek work in countries like the USA, the UK, the Middle East, Africa, and increasingly Guyana and Suriname.
Developing and retaining engineering talent needs to be a critical part of the overall workforce plan of the country. Engineers play a critical role in many sectors, not just for the energy sector. UWI has done a significant amount of work in training world-class engineers that can meet the needs of the energy sector in T&T, but UWI graduates also find themselves all over the world in high-performing positions. The opportunities for work in other countries for engineers are very attractive, but it does result in brain drain for the country.
The Energy Chamber recently held its Upstream Forum where operators presented their plans for the near to medium term. As activities pick up to support the already invested operators, more human resources will be needed, especially for long-term activities; moreso, if Exxon is successful and if the new deepwater blocks are awarded to CNOOC and STIT Energy and Ground Ports Consortium. In addition, engineers will also be needed when the refinery is restarted.