What do you want to be when you grow up? Ask that question of today’s schoolchildren and it is distinctly unlikely that “database administrator” or “software engineer” will feature high on the list of responses.

Young people are more likely to aspire to the fields of teaching, law and professional sports, according to a recent survey of 14 and 15-year-olds conducted by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Europe’s largest professional society for engineers.