Thomas Telford, the first president of the Institution of Civil Engineers and one of Britain’s most celebrated civil engineers, began his career as a stonemason. We need to learn from past reforms, build cross-party consensus, work with teachers and employers and give change the time it needs to succeed. Organisations like the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Engineering UK and the Royal Academy of Engineering will have plenty of relevant insights to share. Technical pathways designed in urban areas with strong manufacturing and engineering employers won’t work if they’re dropped on rural settings. By Institution of Civil Engineers director of membership recruitment Steve Feeley.