Meet Alice. She's 23 and grew up in south London. Find out about her job as a trainee engineer for Schneider Electric. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
If you want it enough, you can do anything.
How would you describe your job?
My current placement is in tendering (putting bids together for projects), so my job involves a lot of problem solving and communication across teams in order to create a complete solution. It really makes me think on my feet. It’s slightly technical – I can go out to survey new or existing sites so I can better understand the project, develop a bid and put a price together – but it's also interpersonal and organisational. I find it really exciting as it's new and different from what I’ve done before.
What are your day-to-day tasks?
I’m still new so I’m shadowing one of the more experienced people in the company. We have a teaching environment in our office, so you can see how the systems work. At the moment, I’m learning about single-line diagrams, looking at different systems and learning about the processes that happen in a plant room, where the building services equipment for electrics, water, heating and air conditioning is stored.
What skills do you use?
Interpersonal and networking skills are very important – sales, marketing and tendering are all about teamwork and being good with people. Time management and organisational skills are also very important.
I use some skills that I learnt at school as well, such as Design & Technology. I also use the problem solving and thinking skills that I learnt in Maths.
What choices did you make to ensure you had the right qualifications?
I researched and made sure that I chose the correct subjects for A-level. If you know what you’re interested in you can look for what universities might ask for and choose those subjects.
What was your educational career path?
I was always interested in engineering. When I was 16, I went on a girls-only Nautical Engineering course – I really enjoyed it and it confirmed that engineering was for me. Sadly, not many girls consider STEM subjects (and engineering in particular) as a career choice, mostly through a lack of information and stereotyping.
I moved to Hong Kong for sixth form and did the International Baccalaureate. I then applied to university in the UK to do a Mechanical Engineering course. I did a foundation course first because I needed to improve my Maths grade, before doing my university degree, and this gave me a really good grounding in engineering.
I also did lots of work experience while I was at university. I worked in a shot blasting factory, a panel builders where I helped to build air-conditioning units, and I went to a toothbrush factory in China. I also did an internship at JCB in the summer before I got this job.
Is this the job you always knew you wanted to do?
In many ways, yes. I always knew I wanted to work for a company that aimed to make a difference in the world, and we do that. We’re constantly trying to improve and innovate with new products. I always knew I wanted to be an engineer as well, although what I do at the moment uses fewer technical skills and more skills like communication and organisation.
Top tips
Do your research. Find out which qualifications you need to get into the job you want
The road isn't always smooth but you can get there
Don’t listen to anyone who tells you you can’t do it. If you want it enough, you can do anything.
What to expect if you want to be an engineer
- How many people work in the engineering sector?
- What can you earn in different roles?
- What routes can you take to get in?
- Is the demand for engineers expected to grow in the future?
Watch the film to find out the answers to these questions, and much more!
Other resources
- See what type of engineering role might suit you with the meet the future you quiz
- Find out more about the different areas of engineering with this guide from Tomorrow's Engineers
- Learn more about roles in engineering with the National Careers Service explore careers tool
- Discover a practical new way to study via T-levels (England-only).
Emma-Louise Have you ever had an idea for an invention, something you thought would make your life easier? If so, you've taken your first steps into engineering something.
Frankie As an engineer, you apply scientific principles to design and help create all sorts of things like buildings, aircrafts, or bras.
Emma-Louise Traditionally, engineering falls in four main categories: chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering. And, within each of these, there are more specific types of engineering disciplines.
Frankie There were nearly 870,000 engineers in the UK [in 2020], with an estimated 4% growth of just under 40,000 more jobs by 2025.
Emma-Louise You could consider roles such as electrical engineer, chemical engineer, mechanical engineer, nuclear engineer, or software engineer. For electrical engineers,
Frankie people who design, build and maintain electrical systems and equipment,
Emma-Louise there is an expected job growth of just under 1,600 jobs by 2025. As of 2020, the median salary was just over £50,000 per year.
Frankie For civil engineers,
Emma-Louise people who design and manage construction projects, anything from bridges to sports stadiums,
Frankie there's an expected growth of approximately 2,800 jobs by 2025, with a median salary of around £44,500.
Emma-Louise And for mechanical engineers,
Frankie people who develop and design machines that are used in various industries from construction to farming,
Emma-Louise there's an expected growth of just under 2,600 jobs by 2025, with a salary of around £42,000. If you've got a curious mind and love problem solving, engineering could be a good career path for you.
Frankie There are many ways into engineering. The first thing to figure out might be what kind of engineering you're interested in.
Emma-Louise You could consider apprenticeships that are relevant to that role, like a Level 6 Manufacturing Engineer or a Level 6 Electro-mechanical Engineer apprenticeship. These typically take between four and six years to complete.
Frankie Of course, there are also many university courses you could look into. Courses such as Electro-mechanical Engineering, Applied Physics, or Aeronautical Engineering. You would usually need two or three A-levels or equivalent for these, and some of these courses will specify if you need particular A-levels, or the equivalent. Maths and Science subjects are sometimes required.
Emma-Louise There's now more choice as the new T-level qualification is available in England. These two-year courses are equivalent to three A-levels and involve 80% classroom learning and 20% industry placement.
Frankie You can also find out about courses accredited by professional engineering institutions from the Engineering Council.
Emma-Louise Engineers have valuable transferable skills that are handy for other job roles and everyday life, such as problem solving, critical thinking, and working through potential solutions.
Frankie If you've heard things in the past that have made you think engineering is not for you, it might be worth taking a deeper look. Engineers are working on some of the most exciting challenges we face, be it enhancing virtual reality or engineering better medicines. Let's hear from some professionals. Ben is an aerospace engineer. "I love interacting and working with people to find solutions to problems. I enjoy knowing that millions of people fly around the world every year on products that I have helped develop. There's a big push at the moment for more environmentally friendly solutions. Air travel is a massive contributor to global warming and so anything that the industry can do to reduce harmful gases being emitted will make a big impact."
Emma-LouiseDavid, an expert at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, says: "The most exciting thing about engineering and technology is that there will be roles in the next five to 10 years that don't exist yet. Artificial intelligence (AI), coding and ‘green jobs’ – those that work to combat climate change – will continue to evolve and be some of the most important roles within the sector in years to come. It's also really important that the engineering industry is inclusive and representative as engineers, design products and services for everyone."
Emma-Louise Engineering is creative, exciting and not to mention that it pays pretty well once you've worked your way up beyond junior roles. The median wage within the sector is over £41,000, compared to the median full-time salary in the UK which is around £28,500.
Frankie There's also particularly strong growth in software publishing and wireless communications.
Emma-Louise Engineering is also an industry where the gender mix isn't well balanced, although the research is unclear as to why.
Frankie The main shortfall here is engineers who identify as female. As of 2020, 88% of engineers identified as male. However, lots of employers are keen to change this, so there should be more and more opportunities coming up for engineers who identify as female.
Emma-Louise One thing that's for sure is that there are going to be lots of opportunities available in the engineering sector, with just under 40,000 new jobs expected by 2025. So, if this has piqued your interest, then it'll be worth doing some more research to see if this is right for you.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
Work experience in your area
Find work experience placements with Workfinder.
Tips and advice
Help with interviews, writing a CV and all things work experience related.
How to become an engineer. collection
Find out more about the engineering sector and how those currently working in it got their foot in the door.
Amy: Formula 1 engineer
Amy helps develop ways to make racing cars go faster.
Zoe: apprentice site engineer. video
Zoe's helping to build a London tube station.
