IET - Savoy Place Virtual Club

English is not my first language.

SAVIO — 2013-05-17T01:23:33 00

Dear All,

I'm an electrical building services engineer with 20 years of working experience. My boss said that I should improve my English.

Anyone can suggest any way I can improve my English. Any suggestion is welcome!

Many thanks in advance.

Advise on searching for a new position

PaulJR — 2013-04-08T18:13:31 00

Hi Folks,

Our manufacturing section is shutting down in December so I now need to start actively searching the job market and I have a couple of concerns .

Firstly, I have been in my current position for 8 years and am a little out of touch with agencies and the latest methods for searching for a new position. I wondered if anyone might have any recent insights that they might be able to share, such as good recruitment agencies I could use or anything else. My past (current role mentioned below) has consisted of RF/Microwave design and production engineering / support in the defence and commercial sectors. I am 40 years old and have a HND in Electrical/Electronic Engineering and a more recent BSc (Open) that covered Systems Thinking.

The second sticky point is that for the past 3 years my role has transitioned into a financial one, I feel I'm in a very unusual position in the sense I am still employed as a Product Support Engineer whilst I have taken on dual roles reporting manufacturing finances and estimating. I took on these roles directly from finance as my role as a Product Support Engineer diminished as manufacturing issues were resolved and manufacturing scaled down.

On my CV it clearly shows I have made the transition from an engineering role to a financial one. I wondered if this could show me as being diverse and open to change, or alternatively could work against me? I have this concern as I enjoy the finance route I have taken, but would I find it difficult to find alternative employment in a financial area both without finance qualifications and a formal finance position with my current employer? Would the same apply to engineering too? Could I be 'seen' as being interested in a finance route as I have been away from engineering for some time.

Just wondered if anyone had any thoughts about this.

Paul

GCGI Accreditation

martind485 — 2013-03-26T23:10:10 00

I already have IEng accreditation and have been looking into GCGI accreditation, which I understand I can achieve by simply filling in the application form.

However, is there any professional benefit to having this as a post nominal on your CV? As an active job seeker, would this set me aside from others?

BEng Open Uni graduate unsure about career etc.

thechubhunter — 2013-03-25T18:32:56 00

Hi,

I have just recently graduated with the OU (2.1). I am unsure about what sort of jobs are out there for my skills and this qualification. I am reluctant to study the MEng with the OU as the modules they offer don't really interest me.

I was looking at building services engineering at one stage but the cost of the MSc has put me off. Also I am thinking about joining the Merchant Navy as an engineer officer but it seems that I have to do further postgraduate study in marine engineering to be accepted.

Does anyone have any ideas on the matter or anything?

thanks.

oh forgot to mention i have also got qualifications in IT but have never had a job in it.

Wheere to go from here

conyers292 — 2013-02-26T19:36:14 00

Hi im in a but of a rut. Qualified sparky lost my job after my apprenticeship struggled around for work and i have just taken a normal job as its permanent work with a steady income im wanting to progress further in the trade as finding work as an installation sparky is just ridiculous could anyone kindly please lay out some options for me on a path other than installation as it wont sort itself out for quite some time and id rather not be stuck in the job im in.

Regards

conyers292

Careers in Electronic Engineering

Aarond1311 — 2013-02-26T17:18:53 00

I am currently in my first year of BEng in electronic engineering and i am planning well in advance my career path.
I was wondering what kind of sections in electronic engineering are in demand and what exisiting or new sections may be up and coming.
Any help would greatly be appreciated!

STEMNET

PaulMalloy — 2013-01-30T13:07:59 00

Noticed that there were no postings in this category so thought I'd start one.

I have been dong work in local schools to try and take engineering into the classroom and help encourage pupils to consider engineering as a career choice. I joined STEMNET about 4 years ago. This is a government funded organisation that basically helps to co-ordinate getting Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths engagement in schools. They arrange for your disclosure which allows you to work with young people and send out a newsletter every month showing requests for help from schools by geographical area. Lots of schools look for help with career activities or practical work that they are undertaking. They may be involved in one of the many engineering/science competitions available and looking for some practical assistance. It's a great way to give something back to the profession. I have received funding from the IET Education fund for the last two years which has been invaluable in getting kit for projects. I would encourage other members to consider this as a way to get involved and would help anyone with any questions they may have if they are thinking of getting involved but are unsure about it. You may have young children yourself or be on a school PTA and want to get involved. You can contact me by e-mail at paul.malloy@magnoxsites.com or post a message here.

What can the IET do to help the next generation of Engineers?

CelticHeathen — 2013-01-22T12:39:49 00

This is something I have discussed with many Students, Graduates and employers alike. While many (rightly, in my view) bemoan the falling standards in academia and the plethora of under-skilled (or at least, under-prepared) Graduates, it is important to see it from the other side, most notably from that of the aspirational young candidates who either cannot find work in Engineering, or are under-employed and under-utilised.

What do the forum members think the IET's place is in helping ensure our competitive future in the profession? To my eyes, there are too many of the "I'm alright, Jack!" types in the field, who either lack the foresight to realise the skills shortages we are facing (Electrical Engineering is a prime example, with replacement rates apparently well below that of the number of expected retirees in the next 20yrs) or selfishly ignore the problem in favour of short-term gain.

I myself was once a struggling Graduate, with huge 5-figure debts and am scared stiff at the prospects facing my kids if/when they take their tentative steps toward a career. Seeing the title of "Engineer" (among other professions) being constantly undermined and devalued certainly doesn't shake that feeling of pessimism...

Your thoughts?

Advice needed to start my career

geo86 — 2013-01-19T19:17:37 00

Hello,

I am new on this forum and I need help with advices and a job if it's possible.
I've finished a college in my country (Romania) and I've equivalised my diploma at NARIC UK.
They said it that it is comparable to N/SVQ Level 3 standard like Electronics Technician.

Like experience, I have about 1 year experience in my country like Computer assembler technician in a medium factory and home-practice like hobby.
I am 26 years old and I want to continue my career in Electronics because I like it.
I have skills about electronics, I can read diagrams, I can use multimeter, I can recognize components and so on.
Also, I have excellent math and computer skills.

Does anyone knows if I can get an entry-level job with this skills or what should I do next to be able to get a job ?

Another thing is I can work only self employed at the moment and hopefully next months I will get the full right to be employee.

Thanks in advance!

CPD Record Template

Kiff — 2013-01-11T11:52:12 00

Hello All

I am looking for a neat and convenient way to keep a record of my CPD.

Instead of starting from scratch and drawing up a excel or word document I was wondering if anyone had a good template they used either an IET or other.

Regards

K

Happy Christmas...

amillar — 2012-12-22T12:47:28 00

May you all have a good one !

Cheers,

Andy

Career help. HNC etc...

Rabmcnaught — 2012-12-14T09:57:14 00

Hi looking for some advice please.

I am a resident engineer on a nuclear power station for Chubb Systems taking care of site security, cctv/ security systems/ gate and turnstiles/muster systems amongst other equipment tied into our electronic security system.

Now I have done this type of job now since leaving school at 16, so around 16 years experience on doing electronic security systems which is low voltage stuff 24vdc etc

Really looking for a change now and a new challenge within the nuclear power industry and wondered what courses would help me further My knowledge and even transfer My skills to another position.

I have a hnc in fire and security alarm system installation possibly not exact name of it but just off the top of My head, it was gained through my apprenticeship with My company a number of years ago and tbh it is not recognised at all.

I would hope to do something along the line with control systems: instrumentation etc but as full time would need to be majority at least in my own time if that is possible. Also another question is would an electrical hnc be better for me and allow me to progress in My career?

I deal day to day with circuits and diagrams,relays,fibre optic networks, lan networks, pc based equipment and so on ,so have a good knowledge in general and really need to take this somewhere else now and further my career but a bit lost on the best path to take, with with my plant knowledge it would need to be within the nuclear industry.

Any help appreciated and apologies of this is in wrong category.

Robert

HV Training plan

benspark — 2012-11-25T19:26:53 00

I apologise for sounding nieve but i am keen to hear of any recommendations or training and planning advice so i can get HV trained to a suitable level to get into the industry.

I do have a BEng(hons) and also a 'proper' engineering apprenticship and hands on experience from the Royal Navy.

Any tips always welcome!

Phil

Question in respect of 'old' City & Guilds qualifications

Cymarr4 — 2012-10-31T21:24:55 00

I apologize for what is a very long post but please could someone advise me as to the current qualification level provided by City & Guilds and TEC courses taken between 1977 - 1983

Specifically: City & Guilds 222 Radio, Television and Electronics Mechanics Certificate. (3 year course 1977 - 1980).

TEC Certificate in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (4 year course 1979 -1983).

No course number was assigned to the TEC course at that time.

I am currently in the process of attempting to get these two courses approved in respect of EU directive 2005/36/EU in order to meet the qualification requirements of other EU countries (specifically Norway).

However, the courses and qualifications shown above, are not recognized as even having existed and are not shown in any of the applicable databases recognized by the EU (or indeed the British organizations), seemingly having been replaced long ago by BTEC, then NVQ and now possibly by the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).

I've enquired of the present City and Guilds in respect of these courses but as yet have not received a reply. I've been told by a former colleague, that the entire structure of the City & Guilds organization has changed since the above mentioned courses were taken and that they are highly unlikely to be able to provide me with the information. However, as stated, I've not yet received a reply.

Neither Google or any other search engine I've tried has any information in respect of these courses, other than C.V.s belonging to other people, which show them as possessing the same qualifications.

I have compared the subject scope and study level involved / achieved with the more "modern" examinations and am unable to determine a parallel. For what would appear to be the same or similar course is either considerably less in both scope and achievement attained or is of higher (degree) level.

I would very much appreciate any help in respect of identifying the appropriate modern day equivalent courses or suggestion as to where to obtain this information.

I also have to confess that I did not complete the final year of the TEC course (due to the company I was working for sending me overseas) but the 1st, 2nd and majority of the 3rd years of this 4 year course were completed. Would this fact make the entire course worthless or would those years count for any sort of qualification or recognized achievement ?

Further, If I may ask a second but related question, would my many years of experience (more than 35 years) in numerous roles (some senior, degree level positions) within the engineering industry, count towards EU approval - or indeed, towards a possible application for membership of the IET ?

Again, apologies for the very long post and thank you in advance for your guidance.

company start up

SCL44 — 2012-10-17T15:33:10 00

Hi All,

A quick and hopefully interesting questions for you all:

Where would you look for a potential business partner if you were thinking about starting your own engineering company?

Thanks,

How other see engineers....

johnnmann — 2012-10-17T14:19:05 00

http://forum.iosh.co.uk/default.aspx?g=posts&t=106910

Hands on or Management?

benspark — 2012-09-24T19:16:04 00

Dear fellow engineers and advisors,

I feel the need for some professional and impartial career advice as I am possibly at a turning point in my career, and would be keen to hear some feedback.

I come from a multi-skilled engineering background working my way up from being a young apprentice to my current position of Energy Manager, with a budget of nearly £3 million. I have both hands on engineering experience of both electrical and mechanical and worked on a variety of equipment, plus experience of management in roles of Engineering Manager and also as stated above, my current role as Energy Manager. I am educated to BEng (Hons) and always keep my self updated to the latest regulations.

My questions is - Although I am currently excelling in my current role, I had most satisfaction working 'on the tools', and unfortunately it seems the skills I trained so hard to gain may never be used as I am mainly office based doing reports and assessments. Is now the time to go back to practical engineering (I am 39), and look for a new challenge or should I continue where I am?

Any guidance always welcome.

Phil

career advice

rjc3656 — 2012-09-24T14:32:29 00

Dear all,
I graduated from university about 5 years ago and have been working as an Electronics engineer for a very small company < 10.
My role is invloved in the devlopment of low power instrumentation typically invloving PIC micros. I typically design the whole product from designing the circuit and pcb layout in Altium to wrting the firmware in embedded C. Earlier this year I decided to look around and get another job to learn new skill and progress. This has not gone very well the interviews I have had the employers only really want very Senior engineers with loads of experience in very specific areas and I find find I am missing some skill or other. I have seen a position for a more technician level job at a world famous company but I am thinking of using it as an opportunity to shine at that role and then progress. I know I can do the job as I do much production testing and practical work(wiring/soldering etc) in my my current role (v small company so its all hands to pump) so thats not the issue.
So how do I handle the fact that I have been involved in design but want to take a step back to go forwards as it were?

Universal Credit and the self employed

jencam — 2012-09-08T10:16:11 00

Has anybody here seen the proposed reforms for self employed people on a low income when Universal Credit replaces Working Tax Credits next year? It doesn't make pleasant reading and I'm wondering how many small businesses will be forced to close down.

How far to go in my studies?

MansonScotland — 2012-09-04T00:21:31 00

Hi,

I am about to begin my HNC course in electrical engineering after just completing my NC course. My question is, how difficult is it to find work if you do not possess a degree and only have say, a HND.

cheers

How to get relevant engineering work experience?

Nick24 — 2012-08-31T21:34:24 00

I graduated in 2010 with a BEng (Hons) 2:1 Electrical & Electronic Engineering degree from Aberdeen University, but I have no relevant industrial/work experience. I am now 26 and have applied for hundreds of graduate schemes and jobs without success. My recent work experience was in a sales administration position and a call centre.

I am obviously becoming deskilled with every passing day. Is my degree now worthless? I am unable to finance a Masters degree.

I really want to work as an Engineer but I cannot seem to get a foot in the door. This situation is rather demoralising but I am trying to keep positive by posting here where there is a wealth of professional knowledge and expertise. I am willing to work anywhere to get some relevant engineering experience aligned to my degree.

I would be grateful for any helpful advice or suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

Olympic Medal table

Legh — 2012-08-03T14:41:08 00

Did you know that the 'United States of Europe', EU to all those who might think it doesn't exist, have 98 medals so far as opposed to our nearest rival China with only 34 !
We probably have about half the number of population of China and twice the number of America .

Legh

How do you stay informed..

PaulDonn — 2012-07-28T00:15:26 00

Hi, I am posting this on a few of the topics.

I wanted to know how engineers stay informed of the latest developments in their field of expertise.

What types of media do you use and find easiest accessible.
E.g Magazines at your work, favourite websites, iPad apps

Thanks in advance

E&T Magazine - Debate - London 2012 will leave a lasting engineering legacy for the UK

jpwilson — 2012-07-18T10:30:56 00

For:
London 2012 will leave a lasting engineering legacy for the UK

Against:
London 2012 will not leave a lasting engineering legacy for the UK

In a nutshell, the two arguments - as featured in the latest issue of E&T magazine - are as follows.

For:
The engineering legacy of the Olympics is, I think, not purely a technical one. In this context I am convinced that the real effect that will be handed down to the nation is that the British engineering community has been able to slay the dragon of "we do not do major projects well in this country". The outcome will be that everybody will say: "Hasn't this gone well?" To which my response as chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) will be "yes". What the ODA has achieved is to demonstrate that if you want complex major engineering projects done well then you can have every confidence in turning to British companies. This is because the Olympic 'big build' in London has been done within budget and to time. And it leaves a meaningful legacy for London.

Against:
I completely agree with the proposition that the legacy that London 2012 will leave will be a much better developed east London that otherwise would have been very deprived. It will be a physical construction legacy. Lessons from Athens 2004 and Sydney 2000 have clearly been learned.But in terms of the actual blinking lights, sensors, relays and all the grass roots componentry, as well as the IT, communications, measurement and broadcast transmission systems that go into making the electronic backbone of the games, its hard to see what lasting legacy these will have.

Interesting article on Climate Change

rogerbryant — 2012-06-27T12:30:10 00

http://afr.com/p/lifestyle/rev...amwgc7zXEsU6RbQJ5MWIJ

Best regards

Roger

electrical hnc

cwspark — 2012-06-24T11:03:51 00

hey all! im 25 and have been an electrician for 3 years. I have passed city and guilds 2330 and nvq 3 in electrical installation., but im hoping to leave the commercial side of electrics which im in at the moment and hopefully get a job in the national grid, but obviously realise its a different field than im used to. Im looking to do a HNC in an electrical field but have a few issues, firstly i dont know which one would be most useful for me to go into, and secondly i work away a lot and my only option would be to do it through open university and distance learning, but im worried on how this would look for employers? Are these qualifications frowned upon or are they recognised higer in the elctrical industry? if someone could please give me some advice i would really appreciate it because im at a total loss at the moment. thank you.

EXPERIENCE NEEDED - Electrician willing to work for free

beza10 — 2012-06-22T11:34:07 00

hi there i'm a studying electrician and am currently studying for my city and guilds 2330 at night school, also security, cctv and emergency systems certificate, just completed my 17th edition 2382,

willing to get all the knowledge possible on all domestic and commercial installs, cctv, home entertainment installs , emergency and security systems,

i'm a good, honest, hard working person, as i have worked for myself for many years, i have passed all units at college with distinction. please feel free to get intouch if you interested all i would like is for travel expenses to be met and a dinner allowance don't get me wrong its all negotiable... all i want is the chance to acheive my NVQ's and gain the fundamental knowledge

further more i'm in the process of gaining my Part P with ELECSA

please feel free to email me, many thanks for reading this

Read more: http://www.electriciansforums....-manchester-area.html

HNC route to building services engineering

grahamwalsh636 — 2012-06-20T13:37:51 00

I am looking for advice in becoming a building services design engineer. I have been working as a building services CAD technician for 5 years for various consultancies and aspire to move into design engineering.

Both the Engineering Council and CIBSE do not accredit HNC courses and it is apparent that BEng is the de facto minuimum qualification for a career in building services design.

Can anyone advise whether building services consultancies would consider a HNC electrical or mechanical engineering qualification as fulfilling the entry level requirements of a design engineer?

Many thanks for any advice.

A thank you to the electrical industry.

stableford — 2012-06-14T14:21:14 00

I would like to thank the staff of Charles Keene college(Leicester college), and Loughborough College.
I started off as a sparky, did day release, c&g 236, p1,2,C, testing and inspection, supplementary electronics. Never quite finished my Hnc, gave back and did some lecturing at evening school. I moved to Canada, where my practical experience, has allowed me to become a designer for a consulting engineering firm, one of the best in the country.

But, without the initial quality of the training as a spark, I would not now be able to tell professional engineers what to do.
Quality should not be dropped in the training, as without it, I wouldn't have the experiences, and professional respect I have now.
I have done residential, industrial,plc software, design, commissioning, HV, generators, protection relaying, Profibus, Fibre optics.
My firm had a internal technical conference, last year, with staff from across the country, I presented 5, out of 20 presentations.

Trials/offsite allowances

31858874 — 2012-06-13T14:34:02 00

Can anyone help??

I am trying to assess the range of market rates for uplift/off-site payments over and above salaries that are paid when undertaking support work away from your home site. The area I am particularly interested in is working with ships/submarines in and out of the dockyard, in build, refit and trials.

Thanks!

Advice for electrical engineer new to UK

Waeldu — 2012-06-11T22:11:10 00

Hello,

I have recently come to the UK with my British wife, I'm an electrical engineer with a background in construction and consultancy including lighting, power distribution, fire alarms, cctv.

Now of course I am looking for work in the same field here in London yet aware that my experience is not enough to even apply for work and this is becoming a concern.

I have tried to find information from agencies and other organisations in an effort to assist me but frustratingly no-one has been very helpful and it's got to the point where I'm just going around in circles - can't apply - don't apply - no interviews - no job.

I've seen various job advertisements specifying requirements such as 17th edition, Amtech, Dialux, British Standard etc. and realise that I should get training, but training in what? I don't think I can take 17th edition as I don't have 16th, Amtech has so many courses, not sure which one to take etc. etc.

Is someone able to advise what basic courses I should strongly concentrate on trying to enrol in so that at least I can then get the qualifications and hopefully be able to start applying for work here.

Very grateful for your response, many thanks!

Wael

Company Accreditation

manadasor — 2012-05-22T13:47:47 00

A good article setting out the benefit companies can gain through having their professional development schemes accredited.

A useful addition to the article would have been brief comments from companies whose scheme have been accredited by the IET.

Member News should regularly carry list of companies gaining accreditation or re-accreditation.

RonMcMurtrie

Hello everybody.

sumonht1990 — 2012-05-15T10:34:38 00

Hello everybody, I am a new member in this forum. I am from Bangladesh.

What is the Average Enhanced Redundancy Package in the UK

hillsrob — 2012-05-10T14:19:16 00

Companies must pay a legal minimum when they make an employee redundant. This is approximately 1 week pay per year of service for employees who are less than 41 years old and 1.5 weeks per year for employees older than that.

Most respected companies pay an enhanced amount often coupled with a compromise agreement but where can I find information on what the average payout is, who pays most and who least etc?

Any info would be very much appreciated.

best way from electronics design to electrical power design

rjc3656 — 2012-04-25T18:29:35 00

Dear All,
I graduated 6 years ago with a degree in electrical and electronic engineering and found work with a small designing low power measurement electronics and embedded systems.
I love my job but am concerned at the long term career prospects as this type of work can be affected by global factors ie done cheaper offshore.
Over many months I see a large number of advertisements in the IET magazine for project/design engineers in electrical power distribution sector and was wondering whether its worth moving into this sector and how best to go about it? I am ideally looking for a long term stable sector where I can build a career.

E&T Magazine - Debate - Should engineers consider playing God to control the environment?

jpwilson — 2012-04-25T09:43:21 00

For:
Yes, engineers should consider playing God, using geo-engineering to control the environment.

Against:
No, engineers should not consider playing God, using geo-engineering to control the environment.

New in electrics/engineering

Silfaya — 2012-04-13T10:46:38 00

Hi everybody!

I'd like to know if a 33 year old man without previous experience, planning to spend next 2-3 years in training, has a chance in getting some international electrical cetrificate allowing him to find a job in Australia? My boyfriend is looking for some courses, but we cannot find any course with international value. He's EU member, but comes from Spain, what's the problem when considering going to the college (he doesn't have GSCE). But maybe is there something we can do? We would really like to go to Australia in next 2-3 years but we don't want to make wrong decision by making a course which won't be valuable. Do you know if there is anything we can do?

Thanks for any help!

Cheers,

Aga

The Academic Spring

dvaidr — 2012-04-11T06:06:36 00

The latest 'spring' is the academic spring, which is calling for all research papers to be readily available and free of charge.

I support this.

Will the IET, IMechE etc?

Should the IET, IMechE etc?

ET Magazine - Debate - The engineering oath

jpwilson — 2012-02-22T10:56:49 00

For:
Yes, I would sign up to a professional oath for engineers.

Against:
No, I would not sign up to a professional oath for engineers.

ET Magazine - Debate - Britain's competitive edge

jpwilson — 2012-02-22T10:52:05 00

For:
This house believes that Britain has lost its competitive edge in the design of innovative new products.

Against:
This house believes that Britain hasn't lost its competitive edge in the design of innovative new products.

Moving away from home for work

echappers — 2012-02-16T14:11:47 00

Hi everyone,
I have been offered a job working in London I currently live in manchester.
Waiting for all the vetting to be done at the moment, it seems to be taking a life time when all I want to do is hand in my notice and go!

Anyway, has anyone moved a big distance for a new job? have you got any tips to help it go smoothly? any big culture shocks that I can bear in mind etc.

In the news today

yrrabdraw — 2012-02-10T07:04:55 00

We want more companies like Rolls Royce to start putting messages out like this: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fin...engineers-profile.html .

We also want our Institute to get behind these messages and get behind them to boost the engineering profile in the UK.

Hobbies

davecooper — 2012-02-01T13:33:37 00

I won't call myself an inventor but I have always enjoyed thinking up new ideas, usually building something to prove it works. I have decided to start putting some of my projects on a website rather than leave them to gather dust in a corner. If anyone is interested, the site can be found here. I hope you enjoy looking at my ideas, I am slowly adding more when time permits.

CEnv - Chartered Environmentalist

DonaldFisher — 2012-01-28T11:52:51 00

Hi,

I've been informed by the IET that they have no intention in the near future to offer the Chartered Environmetalist qualification; therefore, I am having to look further afield to acquire this.

Can anyone recommend a professional body for this qualification? So far, I have been looking at:

- Institution of Civil Engineers
- Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment
- Society of Environmental Engineers

If there are any others that I should consider then pleae let me know. Also, any advice on the ones I've listed would be helpful.

(ps - I was most likely to go with ICE as I have a degree in civil engineering but was put off by the excessive fees.)

Thanks,

JBB

Informed opinion sought

vicstevens — 2012-01-27T14:51:43 00

Hi,

Please could an informed member of the IET give me a view regarding the probability in reality, with all other factors remaining equal, of a person aged in their mid-50s or so (by then being an accredited BEng being recruited as a trainee -engineer, compared with a typical 22-year-old university graduate?
You can email me at

I am actively considering a radical change of career direction. I have been offered a place on a BEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Communications) Degree Programme, and would like to think I could afterwards, at the age I would be at the end of 2017, still have a real working future in engineering.

I currently have no engineering work-experience, but if personal and other circumstances allow I would obviously like to gain some work-experience (e.g. in vacations or via (self-) employment) in the interim.

Investigating and comparing types of jobs it is apparent, compared with commonly self-employed roles such as 'Furniture Designer/Maker', that employment structures in Engineering make it more likely that I could forsee applying to a company for employment with them, at least initially.

One of my concerns is that any covert ageism could be a determining issue for me getting into engineering, compared with other fields of work.

Despite its attractiveness to me personally, and ideas of skills shortages, I have also been warned that engineering has always been a particularly volatile job environment, with frequent downturns, and heard that electrical/electronic engineering employment has been expected to decline within the UK over the next few years.

I'm sure you appreciate that having an informed-answer will help me decide whether or not to invest a lot of time, effort, money etc in gaining relevant entry-qualification(s).

(Please feel free to copy this query to a colleague if they are in a position to give a reasonably quick reply.)

With thanks, in anticipation.

Vic.

Career Change.

audioduck — 2012-01-19T13:27:41 00

Here's a question I bet you've heard a thousand times...

I've been considering changing career and retraining as an electrician for some time but I simply don't know where to start. Is there a "standard" basic qualification for electricians?

Thanks in advance for any help or advice that you might be able to offer.

Kind regards,

Matt

Epetition to protect 'Engineer' title

RobertBrown82 — 2011-12-19T21:22:46 00

What do you think of this?

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/6271

Which areas of engineering are struggling to recruit suitable people?

eswnl — 2011-11-28T00:17:03 00

Which areas of engineering are struggling to recruit suitable people?

£1 million prize money for Engineers

mbirdi — 2011-11-17T14:44:12 00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15756113

Engineering Apprenticeships

pmiller2006 — 2011-11-14T10:30:33 00

In last weeks copy of the Times magazine there was a full page advert from British Airways with a story about a young person who had decided to become a 'engineer' via the apprenticeship route. Excellent I thought, however the 'engineering apprenticeship' only has 6 weeks practical training in soldering, riveting and component overhaul and study at a local college towards a BTEC diploma in Business and Administration.
I am sure that the training is of the highest standard, however the whole feature appeared to suggest that on completion of the training you would become an engineer. No wonder the general public don't understand what an engineer does.