28th September 2022

Surprise yourself - maybe you are suited to being an engineer!

Nov 7th – 14th 2022 is Tomorrow’s Engineers week, a week that is dedicated to encouraging young people to consider the incredible diversity of an engineering career.

As careers advisers, we find that in spite of the great work that organisations like Neon and Women in Engineering do to educate students about engineering, young people are still a little confused about it as a career, the opportunities it presents and the different pathways in. This particularly applies to girls. The proportion of female engineers in the UK is the lowest in Europe; only 16.5% of engineers are women.

Engineering should maybe have a sub-descriptor to help it appeal more effectively to young people, something like, ‘creative innovation in the physical world’. It’s a mouthful but, if you not only love Maths and Physics but are also fascinated by their practical application, it could be the career for you. Are you curious for example, to see how the theories you are learning about iin school are used to create solutions to society’s problems? Would you like to use your analytical and creative skills to be part of such a collaboration?

We often direct students to www.prospects.ac.uk to learn about different careers. On the Engineering page, there are a whopping 34 different roles to consider. We’re not going to repeat that information here, but let’s look broadly at the main sub sectors, to what they involve and which skills and interests are relevant:

BIOENGINEERING
Biomedical engineers use their technological knowledge and understanding to develop new devices and equipment for improving human health. You could be developing the next generation of prosthetics or robot guided surgery. Good for: Students who enjoy human biology as well as Physics and Maths. A great alternative to Medicine.

AEROSPACE
Aerospace engineers design, develop and test the performance of aircraft, missiles, satellites, space vehicles and weapons systems. These engineers will be in high demand in the future and their skills are very transferable e.g. into automotive engineering. Good for: Students who just love anything flight related, including of course spaceship and space travel!

CHEMICAL
Chemical engineering is all about changing raw materials into useful products you use every day in a safe and cost-effective way.
Power is a big part of chemical engineering, but many graduates now go into the sustainable and ecological side of fuel so will specialise in nanotechnology. Good for: Students who love chemistry but want to get out of the lab and get creative!

CIVIL
Civil engineers plan, design and manage large construction projects such as bridges, stadiums, roads, railways, tunnels, harbours and sewage systems. As long as you have good Maths you don’t need to be a brilliant scientist; Geography, Design & Technology and Economics are all valuable too. Good for: Creative people who love working in teams, making a difference to society and like to travel abroad, as much of the work is overseas.

ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC
Electrical engineers design, develop and maintain electrical systems for buildings, transport systems and power distribution networks. Good for: people who love variety and collaboration as they can work in so many different fields.
Electronic engineers focus more on the design, optimisation and management of smaller electronic circuits and devices and they are more likely to work in an office or lab. Good for: those who love to take electrical equipment apart!

MECHANICAL
Mechanical Engineers are involved in the design, analysis, manufacturing and maintenance of machines and mechanical production techniques. Much of the work is based on computer simulations so good tech skills are vital in addition to Maths and Physics. Good for: Those who are drawn to machines and their efficiency – are you often thinking about possible improvements?

If you are inspired to learn more about a particular area, check it out on Eclips, watch videos on See Your Future and also watch the great film which Tomorrow’s Engineers have made focusing on environmental civil engineering, engineering in sport, entertainment and robotics 

Check out our other news articles here!