here may never have been a better time to be an engineer. Almost
every significant challenge facing people, populations and countries requires engineering nous to tackle it. From the spectre of peak oil to the blossoming renewable energy sector; the competition for water
THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT CAN DELIVER THE PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS NEEDED ARE ENGINEERS
and fight to revitalise the manufacturing industries in developed economies and the emergence of low- carbon economies – the only people that can deliver the practical solutions needed are engineers. And yet, it is a sector
crying out for new blood. The United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) has issued a chilling warning that the global shortage of engineers is reaching crisis proportions. In countries such as the Netherlands and Norway the numbers of engineering undergraduates has dropped precipitously; Germany
and Denmark both report a looming skills shortage. According to European Commission figures, countries in Asia are now training three times as many engineers as those in Europe. The Cologne Institute
for Economic Research, which tracks employment in German industry has
reported that the number of science-related vacancies in the country rose to 167,000 during 2011 – a 70% increase over the previous year. In June, the Association of German Engineers (VDI) reported that there were 76,400 vacant engineering jobs – the highest number it had ever recorded.
Graduate Insight
Ewelina Witkowska
Ewelina Witkowska is a mechanical engineer working in the water sector for UK-based engineering firm Mott MacDonald. Her role includes designing pumping stations and hydraulic gates – and has the potential to take her all over the planet.
Operating at the limits of science and technology is no mean feat, and the organisation in charge of the Large Hadron Collider doesn’t just need physicists, it needs world class engineers to make it all happen. World leading particle physics research institution
Project management, leadership and presentation skills are all useful skills for engineers to have, and there are graduate training programmes that help provide these skills, should you be fortunate enough to get onto one. The International Graduate Programme (IGP)
There are so many different fields to get into in engineering, it’s worth considering all of the options before you begin progressing down one career path. While you may be studying one of the more common engineering courses, say in chemical, mechanical,