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Technical & Exciting Careers With Engineering Training

A large number of disciplines come under the umbrella of Engineering. Should you fancy yourself as an aeronautical or automotive engineer, you're probably hoping to stretch yourself technically and logically. In the UK, the aerospace industry competes on the world stage, and is a front runner in scientific and technological developments. Well over a quarter of a million people work in the automotive industry, and the UK motorsport industry is acknowledged around the world.

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There are approximately 32 UK Universities providing Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering Degrees in Automotive or Aeronautical Engineering. Students can also go on to do post grad work at many institutions. It's also possible to find other engineering diplomas and fitting vocational courses. BEng and MEng courses at university usually follow the same structure for the first two years, and then take on a different format for the final year or two.

Some universities will also offer a more formal split between training and working time. If you're prepared to agree to work for a particular organisation following graduation, you may be able to negotiate a sponsorship deal. As you do your research into the different training options, look for details of graduate sponsorship programmes.

Automotive Engineering

This area involves everything to do with the production of motorised vehicles. The automotive engineer's skills are tested right from the initial design concepts. There's a lot to take on board, and new technologies are being developed all the time - often to deal with government environmental standards.

From initial concepts to manufacture, automotive engineering can be divided into three main streams. Designers are not only responsible for the automotive design, but also for testing each component part. We have development engineers next, who are rather like systems engineers. These people often provide information to design engineers to regulate performance etc. Their work is then given to the manufacturing engineers, who establish how the vehicle will be built.

There are a great deal of product disciplines for the auto engineering student to take on board. In addition to gaining comprehensive knowledge of automotive engineering and design, students should also learn transferable skills on a graduate programme.

Safety is a top priority, and so all elements of a design will be tested via crash simulations and test dummies etc.

All components have to function well for the job they're designed to do, but they also have to work synergistically with the whole vehicle. So an understanding of development engineering is necessary. 'Trade-offs' come under this function, for example balancing fuel economy with engine performance. Ultimately development engineering must meet the standards dictated by the manufacturer, the government and of course the buying public.

When the design and development work are completed, the vehicle is ready for the manufacturing process. Automotive manufacturing engineers plan both the building of the component parts and the entire vehicle. Tasks include equipment design and machine specifications as well as people layout and management.

The Aerospace Industry

Aeronautical engineering covers all things to do with flight technology - the design, construction and science of aircraft. Those who study aeronautical engineering should be able to challenge conventional thinking. The aerospace industry needs people who are technical, analytical and lateral, who can also work well with others. (That said, engineers working in Formula One use aerospace technology too!)

Modern aeroplanes have to undergo many severe conditions in order to safely negotiate the skies. Aeronautical engineering requires a great deal of specialist knowledge, and so teams of engineers who each specialise in their own branch of science work together on projects.

University students will be introduced to aircraft design techniques early on in their training, with modules on key analytical subjects. Analytics is essentially problem-solving, and deals with things like dynamics and fluid mechanics. Modern computing methods can now simulate the behaviour of fluid, which reduces the need for empirical testing in wind tunnels. Even so, huge structural testing machines and indeed wind tunnels are actually important teaching aids for student engineers.

Practical application is an important element of training to be an engineer. All engineering students will get the chance to contribute to a practical group assignment to create an automobile or flight vehicle. Aeronautical and Automotive Student Engineers are often also taught a variety of soft skills that will be useful for their career. They could include things like communication skills and time management.

The UK aerospace industry attracts the very best graduates, and the work is both compelling and highly remunerated. For information about joining a professional body upon completion of your training, refer to the Engineering Council, or SARTOR (the Standards and Routes to Registration).