The human and inspirational aspects of engineering are highlighted in a new series of posters being received this week by school science departments around the country. The poster series, Shine, Sniff, Wave, Pulse, has been devised and funded by the School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) at the University of Southampton, and uses arresting images to deliver an unusual message.

'We particularly wanted to show that engineering is more beautiful than people think,' says Averil MacDonald, Educational Consultant at ECS, 'as well as to demonstrate the astonishing range of activity in university engineering departments.'

Using images full of light, the posters focus on the human body, and include a blood pack to demonstrate the 'lab on a chip' for testing blood supplies (Pulse), fibre optics to show the impact on global communications (Shine), sound waves to highlight security and voice recognition (Wave), and an electronic nose (Sniff). 'Smell is the most difficult of all the senses to reproduce electronically,' said Averil, 'yet the strength of these posters is that they will bring home graphically and memorably to school pupils that engineering touches all of our lives very personally.'

Reaction from teachers has been positive and enthusiastic, with many requesting more copies for their classrooms. 'Thank you for supporting the teacher in the classroom,' said Martin O'Grady, Head of Science at the Ursuline College in Kent. 'The poster set is a great hit with subject teachers.'

ECS is undertaking this initiative to try to encourage more school pupils to consider engineering as a career. 'Choices about subject options have to be made well in advance to ensure that pupils have got the right A level profile for subjects like engineering,' said Averil MacDonald. 'These posters will hopefully inspire potential University students with the possibilities that are open to them if they choose engineering.'

Southampton is one of three leading universities joining forces with the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) and the UK's electricity networking companies to combat a serious shortfall in the number of power engineers in the UK. The University's School of Electronics and Computer Science is one of the partners in the new Power Academy, launched with Government backing.

Around 25 per cent of the industry's most experienced and senior engineers, who keep the country's electricity networks running, will retire within the next 5-10 years, with little sign that they are being replenished. This will create a potentially serious deficit if more young people are not attracted into the profession. In addition, the network companies face significant challenges to upgrade the country's ageing network and accommodate small renewable generators onto the system to deliver the government's new energy policy.

The IEE and the network electricity companies are launching the Power Academy to reverse the decline in students opting for degree courses in 'power engineering' disciplines.

In its first year, the Power Academy will recruit around 40 undergraduates, rising up to 60 students in a year's time, who will be sponsored throughout their course by the network companies. Benefits will include tuition fees being paid, a £2000 bursary, £250 to spend on course materials, an IEE membership, vacation training and a summer school in business related issues designed to enhance students' career prospects. Stephen Timms, UK Energy Minister, said:

"We are committed to maintaining reliable and secure power supplies and that means ensuring that the people who manage this process are of the highest calibre. We have a global reputation for expertise in the energy supply field but we must continue to set new standards and ensure there is a large enough pool of talent on which to draw. The Power Academy will prove an invaluable asset in identifying and nurturing expertise in the electricity generation field. It will have a key role to play in helping to power the nation in coming years and I am pleased to give the Power Academy my unreserved support in this venture."

The power networking companies backing the Power Academy are Central Networks, Scottish and Southern Energy, EDF Energy, Scottish Power, Western Power Distribution, CE Electric, United Utilities and National Grid Transco as well as EA Technology, the R&D arm of the networking companies. The universities involved are the University of Southampton, the University of Strathclyde and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST).

Energy & Utility Skills, the Sector Skills Council for power, gas, water, waste and utility contractors, has welcomed this initiative to address the higher education skills gap in electrical engineering and is delighted to be a partner in the programme. The Energy Networks Association and the industry regulator OFGEM are also supporting the imitative.

Power engineers are responsible for the design and implementation of large-scale infrastructure projects that power the nation and are employed by, amongst others, the major electricity networking companies. The Power Academy will help ensure there are sufficient engineers entering the industry to meet future needs, by co-ordinating co-operation between the electricity network companies and university engineering departments.