Jobs & Careers with Piers Linney - 92

Is it for me?
* Starting salary?

£18,000 - £35,000 a year
* Potential earnings?

£30,000 - £90,000+ a year

What's it about?
Like science, engineering is split up into various sub-divisions. Most engineers will be trained in a
specific discipline, and may focus on that niche throughout their career. Others may become multidisciplined, having worked in several areas. Because new processes and technologies are constantly
evolving, so too are careers in engineering. They vary in terms of their job responsibilities, but also
in their working locations. As an engineer, you could be working in an office, a laboratory or a factory,
on an oil rig in the ocean, or even in outer space. The main umbrella areas of engineering are:

Chemical
The application of physics, chemistry,
biology and engineering principles to
processes that convert chemicals or raw
materials into more valuable forms. A further
branch of this is biotechnology engineering,
which combines biological science with
engineering principles to create products
such as medicines, biodegradable plastics
and biofuels.

Civil
The design and construction of the built
environment, including public and private
buildings, such as airports, offices, railways,
roads, bridges, dams and stadiums.

Electrical
The design and study of various electrical
and electronic systems, such as circuits,
generators, motors, electromagnetic/
electromechanical devices, electronics,
optical fibres, optoelectronic devices,
telecommunications, computer systems,
instrumentation and controls.

Mechanical
* What qualifications do I need?

To get into uni, you'll generally need a
maths and/or physics A-level, or BTEC
level-3 in an engineering subject, but
check www.ucas.com for specific grades
and qualifications. You may be able to
enter at technician level with an HND,
or through an apprenticeship.
* To get an apprenticeship or into college,
good GCSEs (or equivalent) in maths
and sciences. Computer design and
technology are also useful. See www.
tomorrowsengineers.co.uk for details
of apprenticeships.
* What kind of skills do I need?

Each engineering discipline requires
professionals with very specific
technical and scientific knowledge;
however, all engineers need to have
maths, logic, good teamwork skills
and an ability to rise to intellectual and
practical challenges.

0 9 2 /// J O B S & C A R E E R S

This involves the design, production and
maintenance of mechanical systems,
machines, tools and apparatus that use
heat and mechanical power to operate
(such as pistons, cooling apparatus, engines
and vehicles etc). Many will focus on one
area within this field, such as automotive
engineering, designing trucks, buses
and cars.

Engineer a vacancy
This industry employs 5.4 million
people in the UK - that's 20% of the
country's workforce. There will be
an anticipated 2.5 million job openings
in the sector by 2020, requiring
about 87,000 engineers each year.
This means that we need to double
the number of people taking
engineering courses to
meet this demand.*

IT and telecommunications
Workers in this sector broadly fit into two
areas: 1) software engineers, and 2)
hardware and infrastructure engineers.
Hardware and infrastructure engineers
work with the physical parts of computers,
networks and telecommunications
apparatus (network cables, motherboards,
desktop units); whereas software engineers
work with computer programmes, operating
systems, applications, websites, databases,
computer games etc.

Simulation, automation and robotics
This is a relatively new and exciting branch
of engineering. Simulation engineers use
computer programmes and computer
simulation technologies to model engineering
projects in a virtual environment, allowing
us to test, evaluate and anticipate potential
problems for complex pieces of equipment
that are eventually going to be used in
inaccessible environments (such as rovers
on the surface of Mars). Automation
engineers require a mixed knowledge
of hardware and software techniques
to design, produce and maintain
equipment and machinery that reduces
the need for human work; while robotics
engineers are concerned with the design,
production, application and maintenance
of complex robots.

Images: Getty Images, Shutterstock. *Source: Tomorrows Engineers.

Engineering is a vast field, touching every
area of our society. It's about solving
problems using specialist technical and
practical skills. It's all about maths, science,
research, prototypes, design, maintenance
and production. Engineering could give
you the opportunity to create, innovate
and really change the way we live our lives.
The good news is it's a growth industry,
and we need more people to train in the
field to keep up with demand. As a country,
we need an extra 87,000 engineers a year
to meet the growth in this sector. There are
initiatives, such as those from Engineering
UK, to tackle this shortfall and encourage
more young people, particularly women,
into careers in engineering.
So have you got what it takes?

http://www.ucas.com http://tomorrowsengineers.co.uk

Jobs & Careers with Piers Linney

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