Hot" engineering and technology sectors to work in
There will always be employers in all sectors who're continuously seeking new blood, however at the moment there are some "hot" sectors for work opportunities. These include environmental solutions, security, medical engineering and green power.
"Green engineering is the most often cited example of an area that needs fresh blood, but this often conjures up images solely of wind turbines or solar power. In reality, there are opportunities throughout the power industry, looking at ways to increase energy efficiencies and develop other sustainable sources," says Professor Ken Grattan, Dean of the School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences and the School of Informatics at City University London.
"Safety and security is another key area for growth, whether that be physical defences or cyberwarfare," he continues. "Dealing with the world's aging population will also be a challenge for engineers over the coming years - from developing new healthcare technologies to creating the types of advanced robotics that we see in Japan, to help elderly citizens. A key skill is to be inter- and cross-disciplinary in approach - bringing to bear all of the requisite approaches to problem solving."
"High performance engineering is also another area growing rapidly in the UK," adds Alec Reader, director of NanoKTN. "Rolls-Royce is based in the UK, UK manufacturers produce the wings for Airbus, there's a huge demand for trained professionals in this area and this will continue to increase as technology becomes more and more advanced and the number of numbers will continue to increase."
So there you have it. If you're considering studying engineering or already on an engineering or IT degree, you now have a number of ways to answer the question why study engineering? A good starting salary, great career prospects, employment security and a wide range of exciting areas to work in: why would you ever choose to study anything else?