Thinking About a Career in Engineering? Here’s What You Need to Know

There’s never been a better time to start an engineering career in the UK. The demand for engineers is high and there are more ways than ever before to become one.

Today we’d like to talk about the benefits of being an engineer, whether or not you’ll need an engineering degree, and what your career could look like in this all-important industry.

What Does it Mean to Be an Engineer?

Engineering isn’t just one career. From building satellites to dishwasher repair, the demand for engineers is far and wide. Some engineers work on cars while others write software. With a field that broad, you have to ask yourself what it even means to be an engineer?

Well, in the broad sense an engineer is someone who uses their detailed and specific technical knowledge in order to build solutions to problems. That said, when we talk about a career in engineering we’re generally not talking about disciplines like software engineering. Instead we’re really narrowing our focus and talking about careers that involve working with and on specialised machinery.

Even still there are many types of engineering career path. Some engineers go into highly scientific disciplines such as medicine or experimental physics while others enter more public facing roles working to repair appliances. Some engineers are also designers while others work purely on the manufacturing side of things.

All of which to say that before becoming an engineer you really want to do some research and narrow down your career path to decide what’s right for you.

Ways to Become an Engineer

There are two standard paths to becoming an engineer in the UK. Either you get an engineering degree or you do an apprenticeship which can in itself lead to a degree. In the long run, either can lead to a long career in engineering but in the short term which you chose will depend a lot on your needs and lifestyle choices.

Apprenticeships are a very valuable experience because you learn on the job. You’ll learn concepts in the context that you’ll use them while also getting many opportunities to meet people and network. In many ways, if you can find an apprenticeship that leads into your chosen field of engineering, then it is the ideal solution. In a few short years you’ll have an incredibly strong CV and a lot of hands-on experience.

That said there is a downside to apprenticeships. First and foremost they can be unsustainable. Apprenticeship positions can legally pay less than minimum wage for the first year and often will do. This means that an adult doing an apprenticeship would have to survive on only £7.55 an hour for an entire year.

For some this is simply too much of a financial barrier. Especially when compared to university. Uni students can live on a combination of a maintenance loan and a part time job alongside their studies.

And then you have to factor in career prospects. Some types of engineering simply will require a university, especially those in research and science related fields. Also, depending on the industry you plan to go into, some universities may offer better networking opportunities.

Be sure to research this by talking to people in the industry. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people you don’t know via social media if they have a presence. Also consider contacting companies you’d like to work for to ask what their expectations would be. You’ll never get better information than from your potential future employer.

Why Become an Engineer in 2025

Earlier this year the Department for Science Innovation & Technology published a report on workforce supply and demand confirming a trend that those in the industry have known for a long time. There is a growing skills gap in engineering and a strong demand for young engineers entering the work force.

Put simply, older generations of engineers are slowly aging out of the profession but the number of younger engineers taking their place is comparatively small. British companies need bright young people to take up that banner and for those willing to, the benefits are enormous.

With the right qualifications and engineering career is not only a stable job but a future with genuine prospects. Qualified engineers can go a long way and that’s only more true as the demand continues to grow.

So if you’re looking for an evergreen industry where your hard work will help you build yourself a bright future, then engineering is an excellent choice.