Automotive engineer : Training

Graduate engineers often join the automotive industry via an employer training scheme, which usually lasts between 12 to 24 months. Most large firms offer structured training and encourage professional development. Usually, firms offer in-service training and short courses for specific needs. Your in-house training may include placements in different departments to broaden your experience. At the end of the scheme, trainees usually choose a specialist area in which to take their career forward. Some employers are unable to provide broad training experience themselves, and it is worth checking what arrangements they have in place.

If you are aiming for chartered status (CEng), you should check that any post you accept offers training and experience accredited by a professional institute, most often the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) . You will need to undertake a programme of initial professional development and will be assigned a mentor, who will monitor your progress in the early stages of your engineering career.

To gain CEng status, you will need to submit a written report and satisfy an assessment panel that you have the skills, specialist knowledge and competence to practise as an engineer. It is possible to achieve CEng or incorporated (IEng) status within four to six years after graduation. IMechE oversees the Monitored Professional Development Scheme (MPDS) leading to CEng status.

It is essential that trainee automotive engineers keep up to date with new developments in technology and software packages. Most employers provide training in these areas, and the IMechE has an automobile division that regularly runs industry-relevant lectures, seminars and workshops.

Reading the specialist press, for example Automotive Engineer  (magazine of the IMechE), also keeps you up to date with the latest news and opinion in the industry and can be useful for anticipating future career opportunities.