Engineering

Our lives are dependent on technology and the engineers who design, make and re-design the products we use every day.

Engineers make things, then they make improvements so things work better. They use creativity and imagination to find solutions to problems, working in almost every area of people's lives. They tackle some of the world’s most pressing problems – from maintaining clean water and energy supplies to finding sustainable ways to grow food, build houses and travel. They use maths and science, as well as design, computing, electronics and construction, to turn ideas into reality.

It is an exciting time for the industry with developments in advanced manufacturing, known as Industry 4.0 (commonly referred to as the fourth industrial revolution). This relates to the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing.

Engineering employs more than 126,000 people in Scotland, with workforce is projected to grow by 1.7 per cent over the next six years, creating 1500 jobs. In the same period, almost 25 per cent of the workforce is projected to retire, creating an additional 20,300 job openings. (Scottish Enterprise, 2017; LMI For All, 2018)

• Manufacturing engineering

Manufacturing engineers use their skills to improve manufacturing processes, ensuring goods are produced efficiently, cost effectively and with minimal impact on the environment.

Manufacturing engineers will typically be responsible for the technical management, maintenance and development of production lines – designing new equipment, processes and systems. They’re responsible for installing, repairing and monitoring systems to optimise the manufacturing process in a range of industries – from timber production to pharmaceuticals to food and drink.

• Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering is focussed on creativity and imagination – designing and developing processes or parts/products which move or have moving parts. It relates to the design, manufacture and maintenance of mechanical systems, ranging from small components inside electrical equipment to large plant, machinery or vehicles. It is one of the most diverse engineering disciplines.

• Electrical engineering 

Electrical engineering is designing and developing and manufacturing everything from low power electrical machines to high voltage electrical power stations. Another key subject in this discipline is control engineering - an engineering process which is used to control output from an engineering system.

Attributes needed for a engineering include:

• Problem solving
• Understanding of science
• Maths and numeracy
• Creativity
• Team work
• Communication skills

Video source: This video was created by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) to inspire, inform, influence and change perception, supporting the global engineering community to make a difference and evolve and adapt for the future.