Just 50 EE's a year?
Just 50 EE's a year?
(OP)
Who wants to be an engineer? Just 50 a year, say universities
By Tim Webb
Published: 05 March 2006
The Independent Online
Fears are growing that the energy sector could face a recruitment crisis as the number of engineering graduates dwindles.
Only around 50 electrical engineers are graduating each year from UK universities, forcing some companies to recruit engineers from countries as far afield as Serbia and Poland to make up the shortfall.
A report published by the Sector Skills Council found that there was a particular shortage in lineworkers who build, repair and maintain electricity pylons and towers.
The council, which targets skills gaps, estimates transmission companies need an extra 600 lineworkers for work due to start next month. There are around 340 currently in work, but by 2012 an additional 1,875 lineworkers will be needed. The report said that based on trainee recruitment levels, only around 200 trainees are set to qualify each year.
Steve Collier, strategy development manager from the Sector Skills Council, said that lineworkers can now earn on average £50,000 a year. The skills shortage was exacerbated as lineworkers and other types of electrical engineers are poached to work overseas.
Michael Sterling, vice-chancellor of Birmingham University and former president of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, said: "There is the worry that if you don't have UK engineers, you have to use consultants from overseas as well, undermining the whole idea of the UK operating on a 'knowledge economy'."
The Home Office is reviewing how it selects immigrants looking for work in the UK, and which professions are classified as essential. It is expected to announce this week that it plans to introduce a points system.
Strathclyde, Manchester, Southampton and Queens University in Belfast have set up the "Power Academy" providing scholarships for electrical engineering students, which are funded by the industry.
By Tim Webb
Published: 05 March 2006
The Independent Online
Fears are growing that the energy sector could face a recruitment crisis as the number of engineering graduates dwindles.
Only around 50 electrical engineers are graduating each year from UK universities, forcing some companies to recruit engineers from countries as far afield as Serbia and Poland to make up the shortfall.
A report published by the Sector Skills Council found that there was a particular shortage in lineworkers who build, repair and maintain electricity pylons and towers.
The council, which targets skills gaps, estimates transmission companies need an extra 600 lineworkers for work due to start next month. There are around 340 currently in work, but by 2012 an additional 1,875 lineworkers will be needed. The report said that based on trainee recruitment levels, only around 200 trainees are set to qualify each year.
Steve Collier, strategy development manager from the Sector Skills Council, said that lineworkers can now earn on average £50,000 a year. The skills shortage was exacerbated as lineworkers and other types of electrical engineers are poached to work overseas.
Michael Sterling, vice-chancellor of Birmingham University and former president of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, said: "There is the worry that if you don't have UK engineers, you have to use consultants from overseas as well, undermining the whole idea of the UK operating on a 'knowledge economy'."
The Home Office is reviewing how it selects immigrants looking for work in the UK, and which professions are classified as essential. It is expected to announce this week that it plans to introduce a points system.
Strathclyde, Manchester, Southampton and Queens University in Belfast have set up the "Power Academy" providing scholarships for electrical engineering students, which are funded by the industry.





RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
Out here in the real world that's usually done by a
skilled tradesman.
Mind you, the pay is better for lineworkers than engineers...
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
Regards,
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
Is is not equivalent to saying.
For the pay we don't have enough takers of the job.
What action is desired from an individual making such
a plea??
One can't help but think some solution other than the
free market for employees is in their mind.
Why not reply to them "Make the job more attractive"??
When your getting laid off you will get a lecture about
the Free market and creative desruction. But when
there is no line outside the company gate waiting for
work there is problem needed to be solved by gov.
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
If you want more "put employee description here", make it attrative. Where most companies fall short is usually at the top - with $$$.
In our market, there is such a shortage that a local restaurant/bar is offering:
- $500 signing bonus
- 1 week paid vacation to Mexico (forgot the resort but it seemed nice)
All you have to do is stay with them for 6 months to collect.
How many engineering firms can even match that type of effort?
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
By the way, this kind of "shortage" hype has occurred continuously throughout my career. In that time I've never been fortunate enough to witness an ACTUAL shortage of engineers. The hype is fueled by businesses who want to find experienced, fully-trained engineers who will take short-term contracts for no premium in pay.
The big hype excuse these days is the pending retirement of the "baby boom" generation in North America. But those people won't even begin to retire in significant numbers for a decade or so, and the tail end of that generation won't retire for 25 years. Since engineers do tend to spoil on storage, it's not a problem you can solve by graduation or immigration NOW.
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
$500 and a trip to Mexico is not going to cut it- compared to full medical and dental benefits for the whole family, it would be peanuts. Throw in stock options, and you have a deal.
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
However, the company refused to honour the policy because 'the individual needs training'. I pointed out that it is supposed to be the mark of a good company to provide training for staff, and based on that argument no one can ever get a referral bonus.
We have a massive skills shortage in my company at the moment, where they claim they cannot get engineers. In reality it is cheap engineers it can't get.
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
Cheers,
CanuckMiner
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
That was for restaurant/bar help, for 6 months.
Starbucks already offer full benefits and medical.
What I meant was, since starbucks and my local pub already offer full benefits and medical, shouldn't engineering firms be offering the same type or equivalent? Most engineering firms around me right now don't even offer full benefits or medical to their contracts, never mind the signing bonus or trip.
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
You are welcomed to go to the Fort. It is not for everyone.
If you have a family, and most senior engineers may, it would definitely be tough. There is a reason they are offering $150K for an average senior engineer - no one likes to give money out for no reason. Even then, many won't go because they feel it is not enough.
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
I've been there before and I'm not too keen on going back. I do like Calgary though. If I was single and didn't own property here in Toronto, I would go to the Fort in a flash for about 180% of my current salary. Life is quite good there for a single guy, and there's plenty of hot gold digging woman about town :) .
Ussuri,
Fort McMurray is where the majority of Canada's oil comes from.
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
The reason that the Fort is booming is that the major players, collectively, have already announced over $20 Billion (Canadian presumably) in capital projects over the next 25 years.
In a nutshell, lots of work and not enough skilled workers.
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
$20 billion . You could buy a lot of influence for that kind of money. It might almost cover the recent election of a PM.
I understand that many of the projects proposed 2 yrs ago have had to scale back the schedules due to manpower issues and rapid escalation in cost of steel and machinery. Also, some rumors if all projects are started up, half of all water flowing in that part of Alberta would be consumed by these projects.
Sounds like a good place to open up a car dealership.
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
I don't know about the water. Alberta is on the wrong side of the Rockies for water. I suppose we can always divert - that would be a good $3Billion project too! Woo Hoo!
We don't drive cars, so that wouldn't work. We are in 4x4 truck country.
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?
You might be the best engineer in the world, but based on what we can see here your work is sloppy and you don't bother to check for errors. It might seem trivial, but it is the only thing we have to judge you on. In my office, letters riddled with mistakes go in the bin. Written reports with errors are treated with utmost suspicion: if the grammar is lousy, why trust the data or the calculations?
Sort your problem out if you want to improve your chances of getting a better job.
----------------------------------
I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy it...
RE: Just 50 EE's a year?