Dell, and Manufacturing in Ireland.

von Neumann

So, with Dell going what is the future for manufacturing in Ireland.

Years ago the UK, Moved it's emphasis away from manufacturing and towards design.

Is this the future for Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering in Ireland?

As a Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineer where do you see yourself in 10 years, 20 years

murfie

In 10 years I cant see myself returning to Ireland, with the way things have gone, the writing was on the wall 3-4 years ago at the very least for manufacturing in Ireland. I hate to be all doom and gloom but i think things are only going to get worse.

The only way i could see myself back working in Ireland is if in 10 or so years with experience i am now getting in oil and gas industry I get into that at home. But as far as i can see o&g industry in Ireland is nonexistent!!

Your right that our only hope is to create design roles but usually that needs a manufacturing base to go hand in hand. Maybe with the world being a smaller place this wont need to be.

von Neumann

Sometimes I wonder if mech eng in Ireland will go the way of Arts (painting, sculpting etc). Something that people do for fun, but only the very good can make a living from.

Maybe the way forward for us to become inventors/engineers, but this would require a total over haul of the education system/Culture. But I'm sure there are loads of great ideas out there.

Hopefully we'll find some big oil field out west and you can come and work here.

murfie

ha, if only. but then it would be 20 years in planning and courts when the stuck in their ways locals dont want it near their land! Shell to Sea II :rolleyes:


I think for the near future at least we will see and exodus of engineers from Ireland, there just wont be the work. And that is unfortunate as engineering is the backbone of any industrialised economy.

I for one wouldn't be happy working in Arts!!

Turbulent Bill

I think manufacturing in Ireland is largely dead, except for very specialised fields (and even those might be in trouble). However, I don't think mechanical/manufacturing engineering design as a profession is in trouble, or at least I hope not! For example, my current employer had a specific requirement for a mechanical engineer, even though they aren't a traditional engineering firm by any means.

von Neumann

Turbulent Bill wrote: »

For example, my current employer had a specific requirement for a mechanical engineer, even though they aren't a traditional engineering firm by any means.

I think this fexiblity is both the professions greatest strenght / weakness.
When somebody tells me they're a mech eng I don't really have any idea what they do, and I'm a mech eng!
Most profession have a defining function eg. Barrister can repersent you in court, Accountant can audit you, dentist can remove teeth etc but mech eng...........
Maybe we should abandon the title and redefine the entire engineering profession.

It's all a bit of crystall ball gazing.......

In 10/20 years, Personally I will probably end up in eng sales , better money, less stress.

murfie

von Neumann wrote: »

Maybe we should abandon the title and redefine the entire engineering profession.

It's all a bit of crystall ball gazing.......

In 10/20 years, Personally I will probably end up in eng sales , better money, less stress.

I disagree, only in Ireland and England is the term Engineer diluted somewhat. That is our own fault along with organisations like IEI. Engineers in Europe and lesser so here in the US have a title that comes with a different attitude and greater respect.
I seriously hope Eng sales are not making more money than engineers actually engineering in 10/20 years. That would be disastrous for the knowledge base amongst the engineering community as more and more go into sales!
I feel like we need to focus on Engineers doing engineering and if your in sales then, YOUR a sales man. Not an engineer!

Turbulent Bill

murfie wrote: »

I seriously hope Eng sales are not making more money than engineers actually engineering in 10/20 years. That would be disastrous for the knowledge base amongst the engineering community as more and more go into sales!
I feel like we need to focus on Engineers doing engineering and if your in sales then, YOUR a sales man. Not an engineer!

Sales and engineering will always have a symbiotic relationship - one can't exist without the other. If anything they're more likely to come closer together as time goes by. I think larger companies will retain separate sales and engineering teams due to economies of scale, but SMEs might increasingly have combined sales/engineering functions. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - the customer can get their requirements across directly to the engineering teams, and the engineers can immediately say what's realistic or not.

From an employment perspective, it's much easier to defend your job if you can demonstrate a 10% improvement in sales rather than just a 10% increase in product performance, quality etc.

murfie

good point