Engineering and Technology
Despite the economic downturn, demand for engineering graduates is still outstripping supply (source: The Independent). In the past, graduate engineers have been snapped up by many professions other than engineering. But now with some of the most exciting projects this country has seen in years, graduate engineers are starting careers in engineering.
This is a good time to be undertaking your studies in engineering or technology-based subjects. Starting salaries for graduate engineers have risen by 2.2% to between £24,000 and £27,000.
Growth areas The high profile big ticket projects that have already received capital approval will provide huge opportunities for engineers. These include the Crossrail and High Speed 1 rail projects.
What’s more, the government’s commitment to tackling climate change and the impact of flooding will pose further engineering challenges and opportunities, not to mention securing energy from alternative power sources. The government has pledged to invest £100 billion in green energy technology over the next 12 years which experts believe will lead to around 160,000 jobs in green energy by 2020.
Wind energy is expected to hold significant opportunities for graduates. Twelve miles off the Kent/Essex coastline will be 175 wind turbines – the London Array, the largest wind farm in the world. Siemens’ new £80 million wind turbine factory on the east coast will be ready in 2014, while manufacturer of wind turbine towers Mabey Bridge created 240 jobs in Chepstow when the company’s new factory opened in May 2011.
Solar power and particularly photovoltaics (PVs), where solar power is converted directly into electricity, is expected to be a growth area in Wales especially. Wales will be home to the UK’s largest solar energy plant in 2025, employing a potential 1,200 new jobs.
Hydropower could also be a major source of energy in the UK, anywhere between 5 and 20%. The proposed £12 billion barrage between Cardiff and Weston-Super-Mare could supply 6% of the UK’s electricity needs and of course additional jobs.
