Mar 9, 2023
Eleanor Eyre, Head of Careers at EngineeringUK, talks about the collaborative process of producing the new ‘From idea to career’ resource.
This week is National Careers Week, a one-week celebration of careers guidance and free resources in education across the UK. To mark the week, I’m very proud to have launched a new careers booklet together with EngineeringUK’s Careers Working Group (CWG), as part of our ever-expanding collection of free careers resources over on Neon.
‘From idea to career: explore 12 areas of engineering’ is a careers booklet for 14-19-year-olds focusing on 12 popular engineering disciplines, including aerospace, biomedical, civil, electrical, energy, mechanical, manufacturing and software engineering. It combines clear, accessible information which describes what engineers and technicians do in each of the 12 areas with information about routes in, career opportunities, and links to more information.
This is the latest output from the CWG, a collaborative group of careers, education, outreach and marketing specialists from across the engineering and STEM community. The group, which has been running since 2011, produces a variety of free, downloadable, interactive careers resources for young people and educators, highlighting how engineering makes a difference to the world, explaining the different pathways in and showcasing the rewarding career opportunities available in engineering and technology.
Our selection of the 12 engineering disciplines was guided by data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). To make sure representation of the engineering sector was as broad and diverse as possible within the 12 fields, we consulted with over 20 Professional Engineering Institutions to look at how to portray areas such as agriculture, fire, acoustics and highway engineering within the booklet. I am thrilled that so many institutions worked with us to help bring engineering to life and showcase the breadth and scope of the sector. We really valued all the inputs, and I think they helped create a more useful, up-to-date and comprehensive resource.
Threaded through the 12 areas is an environmental sustainability focus, showing potential young engineers how work in each of the areas links to net zero target around carbon emissions and how sustainability is a priority for every industry.
The collection of careers resources is regularly reviewed and added to, ensuring that resources reflect the current education and employment landscape. We use insights from the research conducted by EngineeringUK and partner organisations, as well as data shared by government departments, to inform the content of the resources. We consult with young people, teachers and careers advisers during the design process and seek feedback from resource users on an ongoing basis.
It's so important that we show young people (along with educators, careers advisers and parents) the exciting, rewarding and impactful careers that exist within engineering and technology. From developing vaccinations and earthquake protection systems to improving cyber security and sustainable power sources, engineers are at the forefront of change. We will always need engineers, to help us thrive and adapt to the world around us.
Download From idea to career for free from Neon.
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