Einstein famously proclaimed that “the definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over, and then expecting different results”. Last year, in our work to try raise awareness about Electronics among young people and to encourage to think about careers in the sector, we decided to do something ‘different’.

In our case, ‘different’ was the national campaign to try and change people’s perceptions about Electronics. The campaign, called ‘Turn On To Electronics’, was launched after much hard work at the TechWorks Industry Summit back in November last year. With the collaborative support of our 21 partner universities, industry and the media (including our ambassador, Channel 5’s Georgie Barrat) we believe that we can make a difference. The campaign message is simple: Technology depends upon Electronics, and there are some fantastic career opportunities in the UK for youngsters in Electronics.

Recently, I saw an article which echoed this message. The article was called the ‘Wonders of 21st Century Engineering’ and was published by our friends at Electronics Product Design & Test. As they say, despite owning or using many technological products or services, most teenagers are unaware that Electronics is at the heart of them and that engineering was involved in designing and creating them.

Our campaign is designed to make the connection between Technology and Electronics really clear. It is so important to get the message across to pupils, parents, teachers and career advisors. As we wrote in Future Magazine, it is down to young people to enable the digital future. You can read more about the first few months of the campaign and about our plans here.