Engineer

Engineers research, design and develop a huge range of things, from sports shoes to roads, tunnels and bridges, and from light bulbs to satellites. They work on structures, products, systems or processes in a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, energy, communications, construction, computing, transport, chemicals and water.

Work activities

Engineers use scientific principles to find creative solutions to practical problems. Their work is very varied and impacts on all our lives, through areas such as construction, manufacturing, processing, communications, transport, fuel and medical technology. The work carried out by engineers is wide ranging. At any stage of a project, an engineer might be involved in:

Planning the project.
Carrying out feasibility studies.
Building and testing prototypes.
Research and design.
Diagnostic studies to find causes of problems.
Meetings with colleagues and clients.
Site visits and report writing.

Engineers often specialise, for example, in design, research, systems or control. Engineers take into account health and safety issues, and the cost/quality of materials they might use. The need to protect the environment, recycle, and reduce waste and carbon emissions has become a vital part of engineering. Engineers spend much of their time working in teams. They work in an office, in a laboratory or on-site somewhere, depending on the nature of the project they are working on, and which stage the work has reached.

Mechanical engineering: The design, manufacture and maintenance of all moving parts of machinery. This is a very diverse area, including everything from the design of Formula 1 cars to installing gas turbines in industry.
Chemical engineering: This covers changing raw materials into a wide range of useful products, such as plastics, dyes, drugs/medicines, paints and cleaning products.
Electrical engineering: Generating and supplying power to homes and businesses.
Electronics engineering: Developing products that use electricity, such as computers, satellites and digital televisions.
Civil engineering: Designing and building structures such as roads, bridges, airports and tunnels.

There are also many types of engineering that are specific to particular industries. These include aeronautical, automotive, biomedical and telecommunications engineering, for example. Many engineers specialise in one area. Others are general engineers with a broad understanding of many different types of engineering.

Personal qualities and skills

As an engineer, you need:

To have technical ability.
An interest in mathematics, science and technology.
The ability to combine an analytical, logical approach with creativity and imagination to solve problems.
To work well as part of a team.
The ability to encourage other people’s ideas.
To be flexible and able to compromise.
Strong communication skills to write reports and to explain complex information to people from non-technical backgrounds.
Organisational skills to plan your own time and to co-ordinate resources.
A willingness to take on responsibility and to lead and motivate others.
Good IT skills – a lot of engineering work involves using computers.
To be willing to keep up to date with advances in engineering.

Pay and opportunities

Salaries for engineers vary widely with the branch of engineering and level of qualification/responsibility. For example, a civil engineer can expect to start on around £28,000, rising to around £60,000 with experience. Similarly a civil engineer can expect to work around 40-42 hours a week, Monday to Friday. However, you may need to start early, finish late or do some weekend work, especially as deadlines approach.

Employers are firms in manufacturing, energy, communications, construction, computing, transportation, chemical, water, robotics, marine and offshore industries, government departments and with the armed forces. Opportunities for engineers occur with employers in towns and cities throughout the UK. Opportunities occur for engineers to work in other countries, in Europe and in the rest of the world.

Self-employment opportunities occur for engineers to work as self-employed, independent consultants or in partnership with other specialists in professional practice.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in local/national newspapers, trade industry publications, and on the Government’s Find a Job service. Vacancies can also be found through specialist engineering recruitment agencies, internet job boards and the websites of professional engineering bodies.

Entry routes and training

The usual route to become an engineer is to take a relevant engineering degree, foundation degree or HND. Nowadays, many advanced, higher and degree apprenticeships are available and offer a great way to enter the industry directly. You will train on the job while working towards relevant qualifications which support your work. Examples include:

Marine engineer (level 3 / advanced)
Network engineer (level 4 / higher)
Aerospace engineer (level 6 / degree)
Civil engineer (level 6 / degree)
Manufacturing engineer (level 6 / degree)
Robotics engineer (level 6 / degree)
Systems engineer (level 7 / degree)

Some graduates join graduate training schemes, which offer structured training and experience. Depending on their level of entry, engineers can gain Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Incorporated Engineer (IEng) professional status. Both are highly regarded by employers throughout industry. To register as a CEng or an IEng, you must join a relevant, professional engineering institution licensed by the Engineering Council. To become a CEng or an IEng, you need to demonstrate the appropriate competence and commitment. The standards for this are set out on the Engineering Council’s website.

Depending on their qualification, engineers can progress by taking on more responsibility for the management of engineering projects and teams of engineers. Some engineers choose to become self-employed or take contract work on a freelance basis.

Qualifications

To enter a degree course in engineering, the usual requirement is:

Two to three relevant A-levels. Maths and a science or technology subject are often required.
GCSEs in your A-level subjects at grades 9-4. English, maths and a science subject are usually required also.

Entry for apprenticeships is typically as follows:

Advanced: GCSEs in English and maths, although it may be possible to take these alongside your apprenticeship programme.
Higher and degree: Two relevant A-levels plus GCSEs in English and maths.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

If you don’t have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree or HND course, a college or university Access course (e.g. Access to Engineering) could be the way in. These courses are designed for people who have not followed the usual routes into higher education. No formal qualifications are usually needed, but you should check this with individual colleges.

Sponsorship for higher education study may be available (in several branches of engineering) from the larger engineering and manufacturing companies. Funding for postgraduate study may be available through universities from some research councils, especially the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

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