And you might have seen or read news about artificial intelligence could displace or replace human engineers in certain jobs!
But don’t worry. Engineering will still offer many exciting and well–paid career opportunities. In fact, across several fields, engineers are expected to be in high demand across the next ten years…and beyond.
In the UK alone, engineering occupations are expected to grow by 2.8% by 2030. This is expected to add 173,000 new jobs to the UK economy.
A recent report from Lightcast also found that the range of skills required by engineering employers is becoming broader and more diverse. Here are just two ways in which the engineering labour market is changing.
Growing demand for specialist skills
Demand for specialised engineering skills is growing, with the number of adverts for specialised engineering jobs growing significantly compared to 2016/17.
Furthermore, emerging engineering fields such as robotics and biomedical engineering have seen the most growth.
The changing nature of software skills
45% of job postings require software skills, but the composition of these software skills has also changed, driven by the rise of new software and the development of technologies such as cloud computing.
Three types of digital and software skills are proving to be in especially high demand in the future of engineering.
- Automation and robotic skills.
- Programming language skills.
- Computer-aided design skills (CAD).
The types of jobs being advertised in the engineering sector are now becoming more focused on sustainability and the green economy. For example, the Lightcast report also found that there is now a higher proportion of job adverts with titles such as “environmental engineers”, “renewable engineers” or “environmental consultant”.
Demand for jobs such as specialist solar installers has also increased dramatically.
This is great news if you’re thinking of becoming an engineer. But the changing nature of skills and labour market demand means it’s never been more important to understand the skills and qualifications needed to be a successful engineer.
So in this post, we’ll discuss the different kinds of engineering jobs that are available to you as the labour market changes. We’ll look at how some of the current engineering fields are likely to change and we’ll explore some of the new and exciting types of engineering jobs that might be on offer to you.
Civil engineering
The field of civil engineering will have to adapt if is to meet the net zero targets and align with the green industrial strategies of countries all around the world.
Of course, this is especially true of the UK, where both the current UK government and the opposition parties in Parliament have expressed their commitment to achieving net zero by 2050.
Indeed, the civil engineering sector will need to be mindful of its own carbon footprint. A recent study from the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) reported that 70% of carbon dioxide emissions were linked, either directly or indirectly, to the creation and everyday use of new infrastructure.
This same ICE report contains a perfect summary of why civil engineering will be such a vital skill in the fight to tackle climate change.
“Problem-solving skills, logical thinking, technical knowledge and understanding of materials make engineers ideally suited to respond to emergency situations. Climate change is an emergency, and the same thinking that engineers bring to natural disasters or war situations needs to be applied to solving this crisis.”
Civil engineering is therefore going to be at the forefront of ensuring that carbon emissions are no longer an automatic by-product of building new infrastructure.
Civil engineers will have to find innovative new ways to deliver projects while reducing the carbon footprint of those projects. It’s a big challenge, but it also means that civil engineers will continue to in high demand in the coming years and decades.
For example, if you choose to go into civil engineering in the coming years, you could be asked to solve problems such as
- Designing infrastructure that enables people to make more low-carbon lifestyle choices e.g. cycle lane infrastructure that incorporates tree planting.
- Building infrastructure systems that are more resilient in the face of more severe temperatures.
- Planning climate adaptation into the early design of projects.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the key skills and responsibilities that civil engineers will be required to have in the coming years.
Designing sustainable infrastructure
This refers to any and all infrastructure that is built so as to minimise negative environmental impacts. Some examples of this could include:
- Conducting environmental impact assessments to uderstand how infrastructure projects could impact on surrounding ecosystems and local communities.
- Using innovative design principles to design infrastructure that reduces harmful carbon emissions.
- Finding ways to use recycled and/or locally sourced materials during construction projects
- Designing alternative, pedestrian infrastructure to reduce traffic congestion and encourage people to use cleaner modes of transport (e.g. cycling, walking).
Helping to build green energy infrastructure
As well as finding new ways to design the infrastructure we already use in our daily lives (e.g. roads, railways, bridges, new buildings), civil engineers will likely play an exciting role in designing new green energy infrastructure.
Some examples could include
- Ensuring that solar farms and wind turbines have stable foundations to support their structures.
- Planning and co-ordinating the integration of renewable energy resources into the existing power grid.
- Assessing the environmental impact of renewable energy infrastructure.
- Improving transport infrastructure to support renewable energy construction.
Chemical engineering
Like civil engineering, chemical engineering will offer the workforce of the future plenty of opportunities to reskill and adapt to the challenges of a changing world.
It may not seem obvious, but there are many ways in which chemical engineering can play a role in helping to reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change.
Water treatment and supply
Chemical engineers have an essential role to play in designing systems to recycle and reuse water. In the future, you can expect to find yourself working on managing the environmental risks associated with water treatment and discharge.
For example, chemical engineers will likely design advanced intelligent control and cybersecurity systems to manage water quality and supply.
Sustainable farming and food production
Major improvements in agricultural production in the last century means that, until now, global food production has kept pace with population growth.
Soon however, this may no longer be the case. And chemical engineers will be integral in the quest to find means of food production that meet population demand without increasing our energy, water or land use. This is going to be a difficult balance to strike!
For example, chemical engineers will also be needed in finding ways for farmers to fight pests or diseases that could attack or spoil their crops. New, climate friendly technologies and processes will be required, such as sustainable, alternative fertilisers.
Chemical engineers will also be pivotal as food production is forced to adapt to a changing climate. You could find yourself working on projects to enhance local food production, making desert areas or urban rooftops viable for growing crops!
Your expertise in water purification and desalination projects will be crucial for providing the water needed for agriculture in arid regions, ensuring a steady food supply for communities that could be risk of shortages.
Ensuring energy security
While new sources of renewable energy will be important in the future. But an over-reliance on one source of renewable energy could leave the UK (and other countries) open to price shocks or supply shortages.
Here’s a few ways a chemical engineer might work to ensure energy security.
- Developing materials and processes to enhance the efficiency and durability of solar panels.
- Playing a vital role in improving wind turbines’ material properties, increasing their efficiency, and reducing maintenance and manufacturing costs.
- Contributing to the design and optimisation of hydroelectric power plants, improving their efficiency and minimising environmental impacts.
- Assisting in optimising fluid flow and heat transfer systems used in geothermal power generation.
Mechanical engineering
Because mechanical engineering involves the study of physical machines it is, by definition, going to be profoundly affected by the arrival of AI.
And like the other two engineering fields we’ve already covered in this section, mechanical engineering is also going to undergo massive changes as a result of robotics, AI and climate change.
Mechanical engineering is arguably the broadest of the four main engineering fields. And just a brief glance of some of the sub-fields within it points to the ways it will evolve to meet the challenges of the future. For example:
- The computer-aided design tools that mechanical engineers use will become more advanced and complex.
- Heating and cooling (HVAC) systems will become more integral as we seek to mitigate our houses and buildings against the extreme temperatures caused by climate change
- Industrial equipment used in manufacturing will likely become more intelligent, and potentially automate more manual tasks.
Mechanical engineering in renewable energy
Mechanical systems will be crucial to the UK building a long-term, sustainable energy infrastructure.
Much like chemical engineers and civil engineers, the mechanical engineers of the future will be crucial to the design and building of renewable energy infrastructure, such as solar panel systems, wind turbines and geo-thermal heating systems.
For example, a mechanical engineer might play a role in making wind turbines more efficient and quiet. Specifically, the mechanical engineer would work on the design of a wind turbine’s physical and structural opponent. They would also optimise the blade design of the wind turbines, making them more aerodynamic.
This is a much needed innovation at a time when wind energy will be required to power our homes, streets and offices.
Likewise, mechanical engineers work on the design and structural integrity of solar panel frames and mounting systems. They ensure that the components of solar panels can withstand environmental stresses such as wind, rain, and temperature fluctuations.
Sustainable building design
As we discussed in the previous sections, engineers will need to find new ways to manage construction projects that significantly lessen their carbon footprint.
Mechanical engineers will play a crucial role in making sure that the buildings of the future have a more sustainable design. An example is HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems to improve air quality, systems to better conserve water, or lighting designs that are more energy efficient.
The need for mechanical engineers in robotics
Robotics is likely to be one speciality where mechanical engineers will be in high demand. At the moment, mechanical engineers are involved in the design of robots that will be used to assemble robots in manufacturing.
Likewise, robotics will become more integral in the healthcare field. For example, surgical robots might be perform operations on patients with more precision than human surgeons, but they must still be designed in a way that guarantees patient safety.
If you’re interested in the field of robotics, then mechanical engineering a field that’s definitely worth considering.
Making transport more environmentally friendly
Mechanical engineers might contribute to the design of environmnentally friendly public transport systems – think of the hybrid, electric or hydrogen powered buses you might have already seen on the streets of some UK cities!
This means that the mechanical engineers of tomorrow will be integral to the design of new forms of public transport that will cut carbon emissions and reduce traffic congestion.
It’s not just public transport. Mechanical engineers will continue to be crucial in the design and building of electric and hybrid cars. Replacing internal combustion-based engines with battery powered systems will require mechanical and automotive engineers who know how to:
- Design the physical structure of EVs, including the chassis and body, focusing on aerodynamics, safety, and efficiency.
- Work on the thermal management systems to keep the battery and electronics at optimal operating temperatures
Electrical engineering
Many of the applications for electricall engineering in the economies and societies of the future will be similar to that of mechanical engineering.
Electrical engineering and renewable energy
Remember those renewable energy solutions we talked about in the previous section?
While mechanical engineers would work on the design and development of the structural components, electrical engineers would work on the electrical components and systems that power wind turbines.
For example, because of the unpredictability of wind energy, the generators that transform wind power into electricity can sometimes be quite inconsistent. Electrical engineers manage the consistency of a generator’s power output and try to ensure it aligns with the requirement of the electrical grid.
An electrical engineer also develops and implements the control systems that monitor and manage the operation of the wind turbine, ensuring optimal performance and diagnosing issues
Likewise, electrical engineers would complement the work of mechanical engineers on the construction of solar panels. Electrical engineers are involved in the design and optimisation of the photovoltaic cells themselves, focusing on increasing the conversion efficiency of sunlight to electricity.
Electric cars and vehicles
In the previous section, we discussed how mechanical engineers will be in high demand when it comes to designing environmentally friendly transport and electric vehicles.
While mechanical engineers will tend to focus more on structural components like the chassis systems, power transmission, structural frames, brake systems and aerodynamics, electrical engineers will focus more on the electrical software and systems that power and control the vehicle.
Specifically, electrical engineers will work on the EV battery technology, power electronics, embedded software, instrumentation and controls in the car.
Sustainable energy design
Electrical engineers design the control systems and automation features that make HVAC systems smart and energy-efficient. This includes developing sensors and controls for monitoring indoor air quality, temperature, humidity, and occupancy, and automating system responses to optimise energy use.
In sustainable buildings, electrical engineers work on integrating renewable energy sources, such as solar photovoltaic panels and wind turbines, into the building’s energy supply. They ensure that the electricity generated is compatible with the building’s systems and the grid, and they