ENGINEERING A JOB WITH AN SME
Graduates looking for work in the engineering sector will find a wealth of opportunities amongst the region’s local businesses.
The engineering sector is one of the largest in the UK. It employs around 1.7 million people of which approximately 800,000 are qualified engineers. The Engineering Employers Federations (EEF) has more than 6,000 member organisations.
The engineering sector in the UK is characterised by a small number of large firms and a large number of small to medium enterprises (SMEs).
Graduate career prospects look attractive. In a report published in 2005 by PricewaterhouseCoopers it was reported that graduate engineers can earn up to 30 per cent more during their career than colleagues employed in the sector without a degree.
One SME which employs graduate engineers is Birchwood Products. Keith Roberts, Human Resources Manager, says the company employs graduates for their knowledge and technical skills which match the requirements of the positions at the company.
The Nottingham business is a leading supplier of building products for the construction industries. Established in 1973, it employs over 80 people and has a customer base of over 6,000 distributors.
Product development is a key part of the business. The company not only develops existing product ranges in order to improve their performance but it also works with partner organisations to design and oversee the manufacture of new, additional ranges. Many of these products are at the forefront of innovation in the industry, winning numerous prestigious awards including Design Week magazine’s ‘Industrial Product of the Year’.
Ryan Chui, a graduate from The University of Nottingham, joined Birchwood Products using the East Midlands Graduate Recruitment Service, HotProspects.
He said: “A friend recommended the HotProspects service to me. They said it was a great way to find jobs, especially if it was in a niche sector.”
HotProspects was launched in June 2006 with a £1.2m investment from East Midlands Development Agency (emda) over three years, with the aim to tackle the low rate of graduate retention in the region.
Ryan, originally from Hong Kong, moved to Nottingham to study Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nottingham. He then went on to study a Masters degree in Environmental Engineering.
He said: “I came to the UK to study in 2003. I wanted to experience another culture, and thought my career prospects would improve if I came to the UK. It would also give me the opportunity to improve my English language.”
Ryan wanted to come to the East Midlands and decided to study in Nottingham in particular as the university had a really good academic reputation, and the campus seemed to have a friendly atmosphere. Ryan added: “I considered other major cities, like Birmingham and London, but the main deciding factor for me was the cost of living was much better here in the East Midlands. In Nottingham I can enjoy a good quality of life at a reasonable cost.”
After studying for four years Ryan knew that he wanted to settle in the East Midlands. “The choice and diversity in the region is fantastic, it has so much to offer, from striking architecture to beautiful open countryside.”
Ryan has always been interested in the subject of engineering. “I had a summer job in Hong Kong, which really piqued my interest in the sector, and helped me decide that engineering would be my chosen career path. I think there are far more opportunities for engineering graduates than first appear.
Ryan started working at Birchwood Products as a Technical Coordinator. “My work is very varied. I am currently helping to make sure all the products we deal with conform to EU standards. Day-to-day my tasks can vary greatly which is something that I think is true for most engineering roles – you’ll never be bored,” he said.
Ryan believes working for SME, such as Birchwood Products, offers a great deal of opportunities. “Being part of a small team makes it more personal. You can deal with everyone, so I am able to speak to the key members of staff, whereas in a larger organisation, I may not even recognise them, let alone be on first name terms with them.”
Ryan also believes that there are many other advantages to working for an SME rather than working in a large organisation. “I think I will get involved in a wider range of activities and take on more responsibility. In an SME there are more opportunities for career progression. Often I think graduates are attracted to the bigger name engineering firms, but for me there are far more opportunities to be had working at an organisation like Birchwood Products.”
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