There has never been a better time to choose a career in science and engineering, says Steve Adams, Head of Science at Shrewsbury School who gives some pointers on how to prepare for one.
Engineering and manufacturing contribute about £800 billion to the UK economy and yet in February 2010 the Royal Academy of Engineering claimed that the projected supply of new graduate engineers is not even sufficient to replace those retiring. On current trends, there will be a shortfall of over half a million workers by 2017 in the manufacturing sector alone. Shortages are particularly severe in key areas such as energy, utilities and civil engineering. This is at a time when we face environmental and technological challenges that need a high level of professional scientific and engineering expertise. For the UK to remain at the forefront of cutting-edge research and to continue to contribute meaningfully to solving global problems like those arising from climate change and future energy supply, we will need more science and engineering graduates. Recruitment of high calibre engineers is an essential part of rebalancing and growing the UK economy.
Good science and engineering graduates from the current generation of school students will be increasingly employable and well rewarded.
Top graduates can expect rapid promotion and a wide range of opportunities. Seven of the top 10 graduate starting salaries listed in a Times article from May 2010 were engineering related and an engineering career is also relatively secure. Three years after graduation 94.3% of graduates in engineering and technology were in work.
The good news for the UK is that there has been a shift back toward the more traditional scientific A levels with a 5.2% increase in A2 physics students from 2009 to 2010, the fourth consecutive annual increase. UCAS also records a surge in applicants for engineering and technology degrees. However, the UK is also an attractive destination for overseas students, so entry to the best universities and courses is increasingly competitive. Typical entry requirements at top universities range from AAB to A*AA with several well-qualified candidates applying for each place. So to maximise their chance of success applicants need to start preparing early seeking opportunities to learn about engineering and to get relevant work experience. Fortunately, there are many taster courses including The Headstart Engineering courses and Oxford Materials Science Open Days as well as projects run by the Smallpiece Engineering Trust or CREST awards.
Engineering is a demanding academic discipline and maths an essential pre-requisite.
This puts off some students and can be the deciding factor when it comes to an interview or entrance test. The most academic courses welcome double mathematicians. A student who chooses not to take Further Mathematics when it’s available might lose out on a place. Single mathematicians can add extra mechanics modules.
Cambridge Pre-U courses are available in an increasing number of schools giving high achieving students an opportunity to be rewarded at a level above the new A* at A-level (Distinction 1). They also remove the pressure of lower sixth AS examinations, thus creating a space in which potential engineers can explore their subject and enhance their CV. At Shrewsbury, where most of our top engineers take Pre-U Physics. Pre-U has a different grading system to A-level but most university admissions tutors will equate D3 (lowest distinction) with A and M1 (highest merit) with B.
The A-level (or Pre-U) diet of mathematics plus physics and chemistry still works well for most engineering courses. Students coming from the broader IB might need to enhance their mathematics (particularly mechanics) and could use their group 4 project and/or extended essay to explore a science or engineering topic in greater detail.
Most sixth formers do not have a clear idea of what engineering entails, often thinking more in terms of the grease monkey than the project leader. Engineering is a creative application of mathematical and scientific ideas to solve real problems affecting our quality of life. Faced with the challenge of climate change, the need to develop a low carbon economy and to supply a growing population with energy, water and food, the role of the scientist and engineer will become increasingly important and increasingly highly valued by society. Now is a good time to specialise in science or engineering.
Top 10 graduate salaries by subject (data supplied by HESA)
1 Dentistry £29,805
2 Medicine £28,913
3 Chemical engineering £28,415
4 Economics £25,726
5 General engineering £25,455
6 Veterinary medicine £25,206
7 East and South Asian studies £24,769
8 Building £24,755
9 Civil engineering £24,473
10 Mechanical engineering £24,446
