Engineering numbers expected to rise by third

Eoin D

TIM O'BRIEN

THE FUTURE is bright for engineers with job numbers expected to expand by more than one third over the next 12 years, according to a report from DKM Economic Consultants.

The report, commissioned by Engineers Ireland to mark the start of Engineers Week, predicts a 35 per cent increase in the number of engineers at work by 2020.

It also predicts the economy will grow by between 2.5 and 4 per cent in the early years of the decade from 2010, with growth stabilising at 3 per cent from 2015.

In this scenario Engineers Ireland says the numbers of engineers at work in 2009 and 2010 might actually fall, but would then rise rapidly due to Government spending commitments on infrastructure, and the development of the knowledge and green economies.

According to the research the rise in numbers of engineers at work in the decade from 2011 to 2020, at 35 per cent, is comparable to the 36 per cent rise recorded in the 10 years to 2008 – which were the boom years of the Celtic Tiger.

While much of the increase in employment will be in the “big three” traditional areas of mechanical, civil and electrical engineering, the DKM research has noted a significant rise in the numbers of engineers in the pharmaceutical, chemical, healthcare, electronics and ICT sectors on which the State is pinning its hopes for economic upturn.

The report did sound a note of warning however, commenting: “it is significant that 20 per cent of engineering graduates with a PhD emigrated [in 2006].”

Director general of Engineers Ireland John Power said many engineers did emigrate to get international experience.

But he said the figures showed the demand for engineers could be expected to expand at an average of 1,500 per year in the Republic and 600 in Northern Ireland.

He said this illustrated “a key point that Engineers Ireland has been making for some time: that without a steady supply of qualified and capable engineers, Ireland risks losing out in the very sectors that are the platform for our economic recovery and future prosperity as a knowledge economy”.

Engineers, he said were vital in for development of high-tech industrial sectors, such as chemical, pharmaceutical, healthcare, electronics and ICT businesses which account for almost 80 per cent of merchandise exports.

These sectors generated €42.3 billion in Ireland in 2007, or 25 per cent of total GDP for the entire economy, he said.

The DKM report which was entitled The Economic Importance of Engineers also considered the regional distribution of engineers. While it stressed it was basing its calculations on where engineers live, as opposed to where they work, and many would commute, it found the highest proportion, at 38 per cent, were based in Dublin.

The lowest proportion, at just 3 per cent, was in the six counties comprising Northern Ireland.

At 4 per cent was the midlands, Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath.

At 5 per cent was the southeast, at 6 per cent the Border region and at 7 per cent the midwest.

Key findings

Key findings of the DKM report, The Economic Importance of Engineers , include:

The average earnings plus bonuses of Engineers Ireland members in 2008 was €67,700;

The engineers contribution to GDP is €5.5 billion a year;

Demand for engineers is expected to grow by an average of 1,500 a year in the Republic and 600 a year in the North, between now and 2020;

Engineers are vital to the high technology, pharmaceutical, chemical, healthcare, electronics and ICT sectors which account for 80 per cent of merchandise exports;

The high technology, pharmaceutical, chemical, healthcare, electronics and ICT sectors generated €42.3 billion in Ireland in 2007.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0210/1233867929433.html



Now, I don't mean to be pessimistic but does anyone else think that this in very premature and way off the mark?

I hope very much to be proven wrong but I doubt there will be a turn around in 2011, I think this recession will be more long term than that

_Nuno_

I am not sure the engineers graduating would meet that demand if it does increase by that much. I am in college getting an engineering degree in automation and robotics (I already work on that) and the biggest the class ever was was 6, and in the day time there ain't many more.

godtabh

Grads will struggle to get jobs over the next 2-3 years. In a couple of years time CAO forms will reflect this and there will be a drop in numbers. Then CAO applications will go up. This always happens

von Neumann

IEI is a vested interest and should be treated as such. ie with lots and lots of salt.

Example

The average earnings plus bonuses of Engineers Ireland members in 2008 was €67,700;

Does this include the MD who has an engineer degree. Are they still considered an engineer for the purpose of the IEI.

murfie

I agree, i am sceptical of their number on this. Where exactly do they see these increase in jobs coming from, the sectors he mentions are all in a reduction phase. Fantastic if its a honest report, but i have a feeling its for the benefit of outside eyes.

godtabh

von Neumann wrote: »

IEI is a vested interest and should be treated as such. ie with lots and lots of salt.

Example

The average earnings plus bonuses of Engineers Ireland members in 2008 was €67,700;

Does this include the MD who has an engineer degree. Are they still considered an engineer for the purpose of the IEI.

Or does it take into account sector, level of education, area of work etc.

The IEI arent that bad but you can see for yourself what its like out there. Not sure if I would advise people to do engineering this year

Eoin D

Good thing about IEI is you can download their pay salary surveys and they have it fairly well broken down.

Being a graduate myself I wouldn't recommend that anyone do Engineering this year, or possibly next year. Certainly not the "big three" anyway, but if they do to further their studies straight away.

I think there's a certain optimistic bias to peoples opinions on this recession, 'oh right, we've made a plan, that means everythings going to be alright'.

Don't get me wrong, I certainly hope the IEI are right, but I would say graduates will be the last group to be effected seeing as things have slowed down that much that there would be enough work for the engineers already in the job. If you get me...

godtabh

Eoin D wrote: »

Good thing about IEI is you can download their pay salary surveys and they have it fairly well broken down.

Being a graduate myself I wouldn't recommend that anyone do Engineering this year, or possibly next year. Certainly not the "big three" anyway, but if they do to further their studies straight away.

I think there's a certain optimistic bias to peoples opinions on this recession, 'oh right, we've made a plan, that means everythings going to be alright'.

Don't get me wrong, I certainly hope the IEI are right, but I would say graduates will be the last group to be effected seeing as things have slowed down that much that there would be enough work for the engineers already in the job. If you get me...

Companies act strange in times like this.

I've seen senior/mid level engineers been let go but grads get on. Grads are cheaper but dont have the experience. They are thrown in the deep end and its a matter of sink or swim.

It happened to me when I started off. Its not a bad thing but you can have a lot of pressure on you froma young age.

Heroditas

von Neumann wrote: »

Example

The average earnings plus bonuses of Engineers Ireland members in 2008 was €67,700;

Christ, I'm nowhere near that salary and I've been an engineer for a while now. :eek:

godtabh

Heroditas wrote: »

Christ, I'm nowhere near that salary and I've been an engineer for a while now. :eek:

I'll get there in about 20 years

kearnsr

kearnsr wrote: »

I've seen senior/mid level engineers been let go but grads get on. Grads are cheaper but dont have the experience.

Exact situation just occurred where I am yesterday (and particularly what I'm working on).

experiMental

All this talk is just a plan or an idea. A plan can go wrong.

The only way in which it will be possible to make this "shift" to the target is to employ unpaid engineers, or otherwise the country will not have the budget to finance what it is planning to do. Either unpaid or minimum-wage engineers. I don't think some graduates will buy into this scheme.