Anyone involved in education or industry will not have been shocked by this report in Sundays Observer, the headline is above. It is not simply a matter of numbers, but it is also a reflection of the types of teachers that are needed and where they are needed to teach. The FE sector is critical if this country is to meet the acute shortage of engineers and technicians and other skill sets. This shortage becomes even more challenging once we exit the EU as many of these roles are currently being filled by our European neighbours. As I have written on this blog previously there are certain Members of Parliament willing to ask one another about the teaching of STEM subjects and indeed to call on industry to engage more effectively with schools to inspire the students. Yet as important as it is to ensure that businesses are willing to take the trouble to visit schools to inspire young people, if there are shortages of teachers trained in this vital area, then the quality of the education and the prospect of students seeking courses will become an irrelevance if the courses cannot be set up. A further challenge in settings such as the South East where most businesses are SMEs is that the Governments promise to help businesses by delivering an apprenticeship structure that works for SMEs is currently a year behind their schedule and very little information has been forthcoming. We clearly need a Government or opposition who understand this issue and are prepared to do something about it.