Demand for engineering and construction skillsThis section covers four degree subjects which are closely linked, and graduates from these disciplines often work together professionally. At the time of writing the construction industry is being affected by the economic slowdown. Professional bodies, however, remain positive that the construction and engineering sector will recover from this testing time. Both engineering and building management sectors seek to attract more entrants. According to a report by Construction Skills, in order to support existing and planned projects there is a need to increase the number of skilled workers in the UK by around 390,000 by 2012. Despite concerns about economic slowdown at the time of writing, Construction Skills have estimated that the industry is still expected to grow by 1.7% a year into 2012. To try to meet the demand, the annual National Construction Week organised by Construction Skills is designed to make young people aware that construction is the UK’s biggest industry, with over 2 million people employed in more than 700 different types of jobs. Another initiative, the Women into Science, Engineering and Construction (WISE) campaign (www.wisecampaign.org.uk), aims to make females more aware of all the opportunities open to them. The proportion of girls choosing engineering and technology at higher education has remained fairly static at around 15% over the past five years. DestinationsTable 1: Destinations of engineering and building graduates from 2007, six months after graduation | Numbers graduating (survey respondents) | Entering employment | Entering further study/training | Working and studying | Unemployed at time of survey | Other |
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| Architecture and building | 4740 | 65.8% | 9.2% | 15.4% | 2.9% | 6.8% | | Civil engineering | 1505 | 74.3% | 6.2% | 12.5% | 2.4% | 4.6% | | Electrical and electronic engineering | 2365 | 66.1% | 11.6% | 7.8% | 7.7% | 6.7% | | Mechanical engineering | 2240 | 68.2% | 10.5% | 7.7% | 6.5% | 7.1% | | All subjects | 209120 | 63.3% | 13.9% | 9.1% | 5.5% | 8.3% |
Employment rates six months after graduation in 2007 for engineering and building management graduates were higher than the average for all first degree disciplines (see Table 1). Engineering and building graduates were also less likely to have entered further study/training as a sole activity, although for building and civil engineering, relatively high proportions (15.4% and 12.5% respectively) of graduates were both studying and working. This is an indicator that graduates from these highly vocational subject areas may not need additional postgraduate qualifications to land their first job, unlike some of their peers studying more general degrees. The unemployment rates for architecture and building and civil engineering are both below the average for all graduates (at 2.9% and 2.4%, compared with 5.5% for all subjects). The figure for mechanical engineering is 6.5%, whilst for electrical and electronic engineering it is 7.7%. The high employment and low unemployment rates for civil engineering, and architecture and building graduates are evidence of the strength of the construction industry in recent years, with major infrastructure projects taking place such as the Olympics, Crossrail, public sector building programmes and redevelopment projects. According to a report from the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), graduate vacancies in engineering/industrial companies and construction companies/consultancies accounted for 9.2% and 5.3% respectively of all vacancies amongst AGR employers in 2008. Research by both the Association for Consultancy and Engineering and the Construction Industry Council additionally shows a majority of companies surveyed believing that skills shortages is the biggest problem facing this sector of the industry. Types of workThe types of work entered by engineering and building management graduates are clustered around the career areas directly relating to their degree subjects. For example, 76.6% of civil engineering graduates from 2007 working in the UK entered careers as engineering professionals, whilst the majority of employed electronic and electrical engineering graduates entered one of two careers: 31.6% as professional engineers, and 23.2% becoming IT professionals. Engineers may be employed across virtually all sectors, as their skills are well regarded, and a significant number do enter careers such as business. One of the aims within the sector skills agreement for construction is to ensure that more construction and built environment graduates join the industry as there is a demand for them. Engineering and building management careers offer opportunities for self employment, as 35% of the construction industry is self employed (www.bconstructive.co.uk), and also the opportunity to travel. According to a report by the Association for Consultancy and Engineering the overseas market accounts for 56% of the total industry turnover. The Engineering and Technology Board believes that engineers are not only needed in the traditional sectors of construction and manufacturing, but are also needed throughout all sectors of the economy. They are involved in supporting the country's prosperity as well as addressing key global and domestic challenges such as climate change and security. For example, mechanical engineers have been instrumental in the development of renewable power, working on turbines and blades, and converting energy from wind to electricity. Graduate salariesAccording to the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey of 2007 graduates, six months after graduation, the average salaries for full-time, first degree building and engineering graduates entering full-time employment in the UK were above the average for all first degree graduates (£19,300). Graduates from civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical and electronic engineering earned on average £22,906, £22,999 and £21,719 respectively, whilst building graduates earned on average £22,696. Case studiesAndy, graduate structural engineer, M Eng Civil and Structural EngineeringAndy was drawn to a career as a structural engineer because he has always held an interest in architecture and the built environment. He graduated in 2006 and started in his present post as a graduate structural engineer later that year. The company specialises in the design of building structures. As he has become more established he has seen the scope of his involvement in projects increase, including liaising with the client and design team. This often takes the form of attendance at design team meetings. Andy generally gets involved in projects following the completion of conceptual design and his work involves developing the details and producing the final design. In producing the design documentation, Andy has to manage his own workload and that of others to ensure that information is produced on time. The completion of the design does not see the end of involvement in a project: regular on-site visits ensure that the contractor is following the design correctly. Any complication arising on site, such as unexpected ground conditions, must also be dealt with and will often need further investigation. This is normally a time-critical issue and so a well-thought-out and speedy solution is required. Andy enjoys the variety of the work and finds a different challenge with every project. Two apparently similar jobs may require different solutions, and this means he must be creative and use his problem-solving skills. He also finds it rewarding to work as part of a team. Before starting work he felt he would be more interested in new builds, but has found that refurbishments are often more of a challenge. Andy has direct involvement with a number of materials including concrete, steel, masonry and timber. Since beginning work he has built extensively on the knowledge he gained while studying. This continues daily and is further enhanced by attendance on training courses and seminars covering a wide range of topics. Mark, graduate engineer at a major UK car manufacturer, BSc Mechanical EngineeringMark graduated in 2007 with a degree in mechanical engineering and immediately joined the graduate development programme with a major UK car manufacturer. Mark is employed as a graduate engineer, which involves working on a variety of different projects over the course of his training period. Currently, he is learning how to design spreadsheets and macros for various purposes. 'Obviously for my role, basic engineering knowledge is expected,' he explains, 'but it's also useful if you're good with computers.' In order to secure a place on the scheme, Mark had to attend an assessment day involving a lengthy structured interview, a group task and a formal presentation. His degree was certainly a key requirement, but Mark also feels that the supervisory and team-leading experience he gained through a part-time job whilst studying were equally important. Mark hopes eventually to become chartered through the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) but there are many steps involved, including doing two additional advanced engineering modules. The whole process takes a minimum of four years. In the meantime, Mark is determined to undertake as much training as he can, including IMechE lectures, computer-based tutorials and seminars including a hybird technology overview. When asked what advice he would give to prospective trainee engineers, Mark says, 'Engineering is a very broad subject and there are many different departments within a company that you could apply your knowledge to. Ensure that you gain as much experience in as many different areas as possible before you decide what to specialise in. So it's important at application stage to ask which department you'll be based in and make sure there's a placement system that will allow you to see other departments too.' WebsitesResources on this siteGeneral links | 
