It’s exams results season and many young people will be deciding on what their next steps are. With companies valuing vocational qualifications over traditional further education qualifications, here are 5 reasons we young people should seriously consider a career in manufacturing and engineering.
1) The Pay
There is a public perception that working in industry is dirty, highly demanding and low pay - but that viewpoint is outdated and wide of the mark. A mechanical engineer in the UK earns more than the national average annual wage, bringing in on average over £29,000 per annum. Along with better pay, manufacturing firms have been shown to provide greater retirement plans as well as private health insurance for its employees compared to other private sectors.
2) Cutting Edge Technology
Manufacturing is always on the coal face of the latest technology. As we enter the 4th industrial revolution, more and more companies are leading the way with 3D printing on various materials, robots communicating with each other, augmented and virtual reality and the internet of things being used in the sector well before they are having a major impact on everyday life. There are exciting new sectors and older ones such as aerospace are rapidly evolving to bring about new waves of innovation that will have a knock on effect for everyone.
3) Pride in Your Work
There are very few careers where you can physically see the tangible impact of your output. Whether you work one bespoke on off products for the film industry or produce large volumes of small components for the automotive sector, you can point to something and get the very satisfying pleasure of saying “I made that.” It’s might not sound impressive but very few jobs will be able to give that sense of accomplishment.
4) Room to Grow
With new industry trends arising every year and an aging workforce, the glass ceiling in the sector is very high for people coming into the industry. Manufacturing firms have a long, proud heritage in training and promoting internally. If you are determined and eager to learn new skills, the manufacturing sector might be the perfect environment for you.
5) New Skills are needed
The sector is rapidly evolving with with computer technology becoming more prevalent in day to day manufacturing operations. There are key, transferable skills that are being taught throughout higher education that can be implemented and improved upon within engineering companies. The sector is demanding computer literate people to work to work in the industry and manufacturers are having a hard time finding those with the proper skills and education to fit these new roles. The public perception is still outdated people with the right skillset could be missing out on a fantastic career opportunity just because they are unaware how the industry has evolved.