Schools
What is Professional Engineering?
Do you notice everyday items such as phones, ships, bridges, fridges, escalators, computers, tractors, aircraft, oil refineries, MP3's, aspirin, cola, chocolate biscuits or potato crisps?
Wherever you are when you read this, look around you. Can you identify a physical object that an engineer did not have some role in its creation. Having difficulty? Almost all physical objects rely to some degree on the work of engineers.
Nowadays much of the work of professional engineers is multi-disciplinary and there is an increasing need for those who, in addition to their own specialisation, have a broad experience and knowledge. This makes for a very interesting career if you can master a basic understanding of other disciplines.
In the nineteenth century when engineering was evolving as a distinct discipline, professional engineers covered a range of what are now separate engineering disciplines - civil engineering, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and naval architecture, etc. Because of the knowledge now required in each discipline, professional groupings have formed including:
- Civil engineering - infrastructure such as transport facilities, (e.g. roads), water resources, sewerage, foundations, etc.
- Structural engineering - bridges, building structures, etc.
- Mechanical engineering - mechanical systems, machines, cranes
- Nano engineering
- Electrical engineering - generation and delivery of electrical power
- Electronic engineering - electronic devices
- Chemical engineering - the chemical conversion of raw material to more useful forms
- Naval architecture - ships and offshore facilities
- Aeronautical – aircraft
- Software engineering – involved in almost all projects
- Biomedical engineering
- Environmental engineering
What subjects should I study?
Those considering a career in Engineering are recommended to take STEM subjects at school, particularly maths and maths-based subjects.
Always check with university websites and your guidance teacher before finalising your subject choices.
Encouraging individuals to study for a career in engineering
The STEM Ambassador programme is a national programme that offers companies and individuals the opportunity to work with schools and promote understanding of and careers in related subjects.
Info on the STEM Ambassadors programme for Scotland - https://www.stemambassadors.scot/ and for the UK - https://www.stem.org.uk/stem-ambassadors
SSERC in
Scotland offers a broad portfolio of services, principally in support
of the STEM, https://www.sserc.org.uk/
Primary Engineer does great work in schools, IES and IES members support this organisation.
IES is helping to encourage people to choose engineering as a career.
Annually we bring a top engineer to talk at secondary schools: IES Schools Lectures.
Flyers for
IES sponsored schools talks about a wide variety of careers in
engineering.
We
also have recordings of Scottish Television interviews with eminent engineers who gave schools presentations
for IES.
Ian
Callum - Glasgow educated former Design Director of
Jaguar and of Aston Martin cars
Click here to
view
Abbie
Hutty - Lead Structural Engineer on UK Airbus Exo Mars Space
Rover
Click here to
view