Engineering ......
Discussion
Hi all,
My Step Son is fast approching his options year and has been talking about engineering as a carear. Unfortunately the school doesn't provide a carears service and I'm ashamed to say I know nothing about it either.
The only thing I've been able to do is to sit with him and trawl google.
But as engineering is such a massive field he's looking a litle bemused.- can anyone provide any advice to the chap ?
My Step Son is fast approching his options year and has been talking about engineering as a carear. Unfortunately the school doesn't provide a carears service and I'm ashamed to say I know nothing about it either.
The only thing I've been able to do is to sit with him and trawl google.
But as engineering is such a massive field he's looking a litle bemused.- can anyone provide any advice to the chap ?
What's he interested in? Bridges and roads, cars and machines or electronics and programming computers?
He'll be fine for now concentrating on maths and sciences, but not at the expense of english and good general education, engineering with a language, i.e german, japanese or chinese will open all sorts of doors.
Engineering of all types is a great career, well paid (ish) and will always provide good security of employment and opportunities to all sorts of industrys and opportunities.
He'll be fine for now concentrating on maths and sciences, but not at the expense of english and good general education, engineering with a language, i.e german, japanese or chinese will open all sorts of doors.
Engineering of all types is a great career, well paid (ish) and will always provide good security of employment and opportunities to all sorts of industrys and opportunities.
Edited by mattnunn on Tuesday 4th December 10:15
If gcse it doesnt really matter what he chooses. I picked double science with engineering in mind, don't know if they still do that.
For a levels i picked maths, physics, chemistry and french. Wish id gone for german now.... Anyway most people on my course have gone with those so i'd say they are the standard choices.
For a levels i picked maths, physics, chemistry and french. Wish id gone for german now.... Anyway most people on my course have gone with those so i'd say they are the standard choices.
The main decision I'd say he needs to make is whether he wants to do civil, chemical or mechanical engineering.
From there mechanical can break down to aeronautical, automotive, medical and many others, I'm not so sure about civil and chemical as I'm a mechanical engineering student.
Maths and physics (chemistry for chemical) are the key subjects, are these options for GCSE subjects or A-Levels?
From there mechanical can break down to aeronautical, automotive, medical and many others, I'm not so sure about civil and chemical as I'm a mechanical engineering student.
Maths and physics (chemistry for chemical) are the key subjects, are these options for GCSE subjects or A-Levels?
mattnunn said:
What's he interested in? Bridges and roads, cars and machines or electronics and programming computers?
He'll be fine for now concentrating on maths and sciences, but not at the expense of english and good general education, engineering with a language, i.e german, japanese or chinese will open all sorts of doors.
Engineering of all types is a great career, well paid (ish) and will always provide good security of employment and opportunities to all sorts of industrys and opportunities.
Agree with this, though I would say you only need a route in that suits your ability. Engineering is such a broad church that you need no more than an interest in how things work to find something for you.He'll be fine for now concentrating on maths and sciences, but not at the expense of english and good general education, engineering with a language, i.e german, japanese or chinese will open all sorts of doors.
Engineering of all types is a great career, well paid (ish) and will always provide good security of employment and opportunities to all sorts of industrys and opportunities.
How strong is he academically? I'd say that's the best way to determine which path to take.
Thanks for the replies !
We're talking GCSE options at the moment. He's very much a hands on chap and is quite happy 'doing' stuff, even if it's building the flat packs for the kitchen ! Unfortunalty I just don't have the knowledge to sit outside with him and build an engine, the closest we've got has been the Haynes Model !
AS you've said it's a massive field, and for me knowing that there is Mechanical / Civil and Chemical is a start !
This all stemmed from a conversation where he said he wanted to be a mechanic - after a conversation about that I mentioned engineering as well and it seemed to have registered an interest. Given that It would suggest we'd be looking at Mechanical (Machines etc) but it would be good to look at the other fields too.
His grades are pretty strong at the moment - but having something to aim at would I think help bring smoe focus to his revision too. We've only been able to tell him to aim high in the the usual subjects - being able to justify why he needs them will help us keep him away from the doing and instead keep revising.
GadgeS3C -- Have sent PM.
cheers
all
We're talking GCSE options at the moment. He's very much a hands on chap and is quite happy 'doing' stuff, even if it's building the flat packs for the kitchen ! Unfortunalty I just don't have the knowledge to sit outside with him and build an engine, the closest we've got has been the Haynes Model !
AS you've said it's a massive field, and for me knowing that there is Mechanical / Civil and Chemical is a start !
This all stemmed from a conversation where he said he wanted to be a mechanic - after a conversation about that I mentioned engineering as well and it seemed to have registered an interest. Given that It would suggest we'd be looking at Mechanical (Machines etc) but it would be good to look at the other fields too.
His grades are pretty strong at the moment - but having something to aim at would I think help bring smoe focus to his revision too. We've only been able to tell him to aim high in the the usual subjects - being able to justify why he needs them will help us keep him away from the doing and instead keep revising.
GadgeS3C -- Have sent PM.
cheers
all
Given he's selecting GCSE's he's got plenty of time to narrow things down a little later on. He should certainly focus on maths and separate science subjects (if they do them these days - it was double science in my day) but he needs to have good written/spoken English too. All engineering degrees are very heavily maths based so he needs to understand that, be competent at it and really enjoy it.
Besides that how about some days out to see which area of engineering most interests him? For instance you're in Suffolk? So the Sizewell B visitors centre isn't a million miles away?
Besides that how about some days out to see which area of engineering most interests him? For instance you're in Suffolk? So the Sizewell B visitors centre isn't a million miles away?
I'll second all that's been written as well as to say - I work in Electronics and Software engineering and most of the people I work with are on the geek spectrum, love puzzles, maths games and arguing the toss about the relative merits of minute details people never even consider. Attention to details and a love of pedanttry is important in good engineering. I started my interest in electronics through Radio controlled cars and toys and CB radio, it's pretty amazing what you can do at home with a few bits of kit from Maplin and a soldering iron.
To be honest if I had my time again I'd consider doing architecture or some sort of civil engineering just because if would get me out and about more than what I'm doing now.
If he's into mechanics then mechano and technical lego should be keeping him busy for hours, or get an old push bike and do it up so he starts to understand how gearing etc... works. you can build an moving engine and fully appreciate the mechanics of it with mechano and other bits of stuff lying around your average home...
Xmas list this
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boy-Mechanic-Classic-Thing...
To be honest if I had my time again I'd consider doing architecture or some sort of civil engineering just because if would get me out and about more than what I'm doing now.
If he's into mechanics then mechano and technical lego should be keeping him busy for hours, or get an old push bike and do it up so he starts to understand how gearing etc... works. you can build an moving engine and fully appreciate the mechanics of it with mechano and other bits of stuff lying around your average home...
Xmas list this
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boy-Mechanic-Classic-Thing...
As he's at school age it doesn't matter so long as maths, physics and English are in there, preferably with chemistry too. Technical drawing won't go a miss if that's a GCSE/Standard Grade offered.
I'd advise him to aim high and base his A-levels or Highers on what an undergraduate prospectus recommends (same as above, incidently). He can always go the college route from there if he wanted.
Money is so-so on tools because it's skilled labour at the end of the day. There is truely excellent money (6 figure incomes, easily) in professional engineering at university degree level. The work however is not working hands-on, but understanding what makes things work (not what each component is called or for or how to replace one) and knowing what maths to do to design something that'll work right first time.
Of the professional industries, civil engineering can sometimes be amongst the worst paid, because some of the best sounding projects (like big sexy bridges) are paid from tax money and nobody actually wants to pay. The energy industry by contrast will throw money hand over fist at people to persuade them to come and work for them if it gets projects finished faster and thus gets the high-margin returns sooner.
It doesn't sound so good to a youngster though - I know, I've been there. It's definately worth it for the money though. It means I get paid enough to have hobbies, rather than relying on work to provide access to things I think I like.
I'd advise him to aim high and base his A-levels or Highers on what an undergraduate prospectus recommends (same as above, incidently). He can always go the college route from there if he wanted.
Money is so-so on tools because it's skilled labour at the end of the day. There is truely excellent money (6 figure incomes, easily) in professional engineering at university degree level. The work however is not working hands-on, but understanding what makes things work (not what each component is called or for or how to replace one) and knowing what maths to do to design something that'll work right first time.
Of the professional industries, civil engineering can sometimes be amongst the worst paid, because some of the best sounding projects (like big sexy bridges) are paid from tax money and nobody actually wants to pay. The energy industry by contrast will throw money hand over fist at people to persuade them to come and work for them if it gets projects finished faster and thus gets the high-margin returns sooner.
It doesn't sound so good to a youngster though - I know, I've been there. It's definately worth it for the money though. It means I get paid enough to have hobbies, rather than relying on work to provide access to things I think I like.
Well I did sciences & maths. He won't go far wrong with these whatever he finally decides to do.
Engineering is a very broad subject area, no point worrying about any particular branch at this stage, just get a solid foundation and he'll have choice.
Incidently I didn't do engineeing, but construction and now run engineeing/construction projects with 100's of engineers on the team. Most are surprisd having been told how to engineer/design something by me that I never did engineering!!
Engineering is a very broad subject area, no point worrying about any particular branch at this stage, just get a solid foundation and he'll have choice.
Incidently I didn't do engineeing, but construction and now run engineeing/construction projects with 100's of engineers on the team. Most are surprisd having been told how to engineer/design something by me that I never did engineering!!
ewenm said:
At GCSE level I'd opt for Maths, Sciences (all three separately preferably over any combined science option), a Language (German may be useful), CDT/Technology/whatever it is now called and then whatever else he likes.
Definitely this. He should pick German as a language as most big firms have operations in Germany (GM, Airbus, VW etc). I picked French because I liked it but it was a wasted choice really.
I did a job for Siemens in Germany, they have a group company policy of all communication in English and all project documentation in English, led to some interesting conversations with German colleauges (in English obviously)
Big engineering projects are very often multi national efforts, language skills are as much about getting on with people rather than needing it for work reasons.
Big engineering projects are very often multi national efforts, language skills are as much about getting on with people rather than needing it for work reasons.
I'm a Civil/Structural engineer, graduated just over 2 years ago. I started off working for a civil/structural design consultancy that dealt mainly with residential/commerical/leisure property, some of this work was interesting (grand designs style houses for example) but most of it got pretty samey. I moved in to the energy sector after around six months; started off doing a bit of design work but I've been out on site looking after construction works recently which I think I prefer to the design. The money's great in the energy sector too, but like one of the previous posters said, not so much in the residential/commercial or taxpayer funded civil/structural sector.
As has been said maths and physics are the important ones really subjects really, mainly at A-Level.
As has been said maths and physics are the important ones really subjects really, mainly at A-Level.
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