Graduates of the programme will have a wide range of skills that will allow them to excel quickly in both the engineering and engineering management fields. Graduates will be suited to jobs in the high-tech sector (e.g. computer, aerospace, pharmaceutical, electronic) as well as traditional manufacturing (e.g. design, fabrication, assembly). They often work as project managers on teams with design and test engineers, managers, financial controllers, marketing & sales people.
Graduates will be able to adapt to wide range of careers and working environments. Career opportunities are extremely broad, but the following list may give some idea of the range of options available. Past graduates are currently working in IBM, Intel, Project Management Group, JP Morgan, Davies Stockbrokers, Wyse Pharmaceuticals, Lidl, Denis Woods Forensic Engineers, PWC Accountancy, Accenture, Reckitt Benckiser
Many engineers will get involved in product design. This allows them to integrate their technical and analytical skills with the creative side of themselves and those they work with. Depending on the company and the industry they may be responsible for a small component (e.g. a turbine blade in a jet engine) or for a larger product (a new car or mobile phone).
As manufacturing engineers develop their experience, many choose to operate on a consultancy basis, where rather than working for any particular company they offer their skills on a short-term contract basis to companies who require specific advice. Many engineers specialize further in management consultancy.
Often working closely with design departments, many engineers will be responsible for manufacturing and testing of products for specific markets. Examples would be robotics and medical devices.
Many industries require large-scale continuous production of their products. Examples of this would be in brewing, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. Manufacturing engineers would have responsibility for the design of the systems to produce these products and for maintaining and controlling production.
It is the job of every manufacturing engineer to effectively combine people and resources in the production of products. In larger scale operations, the management of the people involved is sufficiently challenging that engineers are required to oversee the operations of groups of people directed towards manufacturing products. It is important that they have the technical skills to be able to understand the problems and challenges faced by their team.
Because of the broad range of skills which manufacturing engineers develop during their teaching and working experience, they are well placed to manage people and projects in general, often in areas apparently far removed from manufacturing. Many chief executives of large companies come from a manufacturing background.
Finance and IT
Because of their analytical and problem solving skills, many manufacturing engineers move, or are 'head-hunted' to the areas of finance and information technology. There, they can apply the scientific and problem-solving methods learnt in engineering to these new areas.
Some manufacturing engineers like to continue to develop their knowledge in a specific field or fields and will go into research. Sometimes this is in large companies where they may be involved in development of the next generation of products and services. Other times they will work for research institutes and universities where they will push the boundaries of technology that students in future generations will learn about!
University life offers engineers a chance to pass on their knowledge to students and to carry out research to move technology forward. As well as their teaching roles, most academics will be involved with industry and research, helping to solve the problems of today and tomorrow.