Competition for engineers is at all time high

gadgetmind

MrRee wrote: »

Wages start at around £35k to £40k which is one of the reasons we struggle to recruit I guess? But it does quickly rise to a more acceptable £70k ..... and then onwards.

We do a lot of grad recruitment to keep salaries under control, but last time I saw an average figure (probably 5 yrs ago) it was already north of £70k across a few k people, 85% of them engineers.

dave4545454

cells wrote: »

We don't need a lot of engineers and we train far too many often in very good universities but since the pay is poor and the jobs scarce

That's the main problem, the jobs are very scarce due to the death of UK's manufacturing. I have a first honours degree in engineering but have never been able to find any engineering job.

There is a huge lack of skilled jobs all round in this country where the majority of graduates are stuck in non skilled jobs.

zagubov

Donkeys years ago I read an article lamenting the poor job prospects for chemical engineers. At the time there were 10 HE institutions in Lancashire which each produced enough chemical engineers to meet the country's needs (to be fair, Liverpool and Manchester were part of Lancashire back then).

Seems it's turned full circle now

gadgetmind

dave4545454 wrote: »

I have a first honours degree in engineering but have never been able to find any engineering job.

What kind of engineering? EEng, Comp Sci and similar are in *heavy* demand.

While we may not manufacture as much here in the UK as we used to, huge amounts (and rising) of design is done here.

zagubov

dave4545454 wrote: »

That's the main problem, the jobs are very scarce due to the death of UK's manufacturing. I have a first honours degree in engineering but have never been able to find any engineering job.

There is a huge lack of skilled jobs all round in this country where the majority of graduates are stuck in non skilled jobs.

I think we're manufacturing more than ever, but I've heard we're only employing 40% the size of workforce than at our peak, as our industry is more mechanised and automated

Mistermeaner

Engineers obsoleted themselves by being too good. Everything is automated and doesn't break.

Also engineer is far to broad a term as can mean so many different things with so many levels and specialisations.

It's like saying 'health worker' in reference to the jobs in a hospital which could be anything from a porter to a senior consultant.

gadgetmind

Mistermeaner wrote: »

Everything is automated and doesn't break.

Even if true (which I deeply question!) why should this bother an engineer? Engineers design our modern world and the things in it. They do not mend these things if they break (though they can if required) as that's more the job of a technician.

chucknorris

Mistermeaner wrote: »

Engineers obsoleted themselves by being too good. Everything is automated and doesn't break.

Also engineer is far to broad a term as can mean so many different things with so many levels and specialisations.

It's like saying 'health worker' in reference to the jobs in a hospital which could be anything from a porter to a senior consultant.

I suppose it depends where your industry experience is, as to how you personally define an engineer (as you say it is a very widely used term). To me (my experience is in the construction industry) it means a structural engineer or a services (electrical and mechanical) engineer who design buildings (not repair broken machinery/whatever).

Mistermeaner

gadgetmind wrote: »

Even if true (which I deeply question!) why should this bother an engineer? Engineers design our modern world and the things in it. They do not mend these things if they break (though they can if required) as that's more the job of a technician.

Was tongue in cheek and you are right..... depends on what you call an engineer (ref my comments on broad scope of roles)

I work in industry, chems, pet chems and oil, gas and energy. I work with engineers from most junior guys on tools, graduates, draftsmen, ei, control, dcs, process, mechanical, civil, hv + distribution, safety, chemical from apprentices in workshops to most senior on the board..... and that's just a few roles within the pure engineering function.... there is then engineers in more general roles such as project managers, maintenance managers etc etc

For me it's just too broad a term to make any generalisations about as for every example there will be a counter example.

One thing I always tease my engineering colleagues about is that engineering, in whatever guise costs money (even if they are working on long term efficiency there is normally an upfront cost) so if any company wants to save money get rid of the engineers.

Ici became renouned for its engineering prowess and set many of the standards still followed by British engineers today... unfortunately it for got about the economics and that it existed to make money from chemicals not engineering