'It pays to choose engineering as a career' - Indo

[cactus flower]

STUDENTS were yesterday urged to opt for a career in engineering after it was revealed that salaries in the sector have risen significantly over the past three years.

The information comes as all areas of the construction industry report a downturn in the economy.

A study by Engineers Ireland found that salaries for Chartered Engineers in healthcare have grown by 27pc in three years -- from €67,250 in 2005 to €85,417 in 2008. Civil and structural engineering salaries increased by 28pc during that period, from €60,698 in 2005 to €77,500 in 2008.

Mechanical and manufacturing engineers, meanwhile, saw their salaries increase by 22pc, from €62,984 in 2005 to €77,083 in 2008.

In 2005, the average gross salary for someone working in engineering consultancy was €63,949; however, this has jumped to €75,165. The current wage rates are in contrast to the average industrial wage of €38,000. Starting salaries for engineering graduates were also found to be as high as €31,000.

We see a lot of spin from the various employers interest groups around CAO time looking to boost their skilled labour pool. I take the articles from the IT sector with a serious pinch of salt but I was interested to see this one from Engineers Ireland. From the salary surveys I've seen, salaries in many engineering sectors do not seem to be keeping pace with other professions as much manufacturing activity moves east. Is it really fair on stressed CAO applicants to be feeding them this spin?

http://www.independent.ie/national-news ... 53675.html

There are engineering jobs around at the moment mainly because of NDP road projects. When they are complete, or the plug pulled on them, there will be a glut of engineers and not work. Its a great job for people who want to migrate though...

Could it be that the Indo is appreciative of the Classified space being taken up by engineering appointments at the moment, when there are virtually no other jobs on offer?

[Darren Mac an Phríora]

That's what I love about a internet.

Muppet.

[Nagy]

Just more confirmation that the indo is owned by big business and serves the interests of big business.

[Darren Mac an Phríora]

What are peoples views here of electrical engineers? An old mate of mine did electrical engineering in a DIT a few years ago. Honestly I've never come across a bunch of bigger muppets i.e. his mates. One or two of them were alright but mostly... as I've said. Needless to stay I no longer hand around with that guy.

I'd say the bigger muppet would be one who refers to DIT using the indefinite article.

I've discussed this with some teachers before. It's actually a common belief among teachers that engineering students are muppets. When they reach first year in college they feel like they have "arrived"- are mature, will be employable, cool, sophisticated.

This is only my opinion of the electrical engineering students I have met- or most of them. Like life in general it could be a case of a minority (or a majority in one particular field of engineering) giving the majority in all fields a bad name.

Criticising those Arts students has repercussions in the long-term you know. A lot of them end up teaching your kids...

[constitutionus]

you know its worth remembering the average industrial wage is circa 35k a year so earing 63k aint that bad.

particularly when you consider electrical engineering is a TRADE. i.e come the recession you can fall back on nixers. not exactly someting you can do with the IT crowd. TBH outside the public sector its one of the best paid trades out there but you need your witts about you with employers.

for the life of me i dont know why anyone would go into IT as it seems inevitable its all shifting over to the orient ala the motor industry in the 80s . thats why you cant pay a student to pick it as a subject post leaving cert. in the end though its fecking obvious that the indo are doing this for their corporate mates as everyone with the option is doing arts so they can have a cushy public sector job where an honors degreee in "anything" will do to get you past the door. wait and see, i bet you anything the CAO will come out with the public sector courses on top again (i.e medicine, law, nursing and teaching)

that said i'll stick with my cushy number in the financial sector, im actually getting paid for this !

[de knowledge economy]

JLC rate for electrician after 5 years is 21.49 euro per hour, 58k per year. The electrician will be paid for every extra hour overtime whereas your average engineer working for a multinational will have lots of unpaid overtime.
That is the problem with engineering as a career, it doesn't pay.
All the PR guff, seminars wont increase takeup, your average student today is too clued in.

[mountainyman]

Not to mention the fact that an electrician's job cannot go to China or India.

[mairteenpak]

An Honours Engineering degree requires an aptitude within the top 10th percentile of mathematical ability. One of the difficulties of the Engineering Profession is that every fool can be awarded the title of Engineer from a guy who fixes punctures ( a useful skill in its own right) to someone who can design a long span bridge, to a new power station to a jet engine.

Professional Engineers will not enjoy pay comparable with their ability and effort of training until the Title of Engineer, not just Chartered Engineer had legal protection, such as has been afforded to the Title of Surveyor and Architect under the 2007 Building Control Act.

The General Public do not appreciate exactly how able Professional Engineers are.

While the tyre fixers, washing machine repair men, and other three week wonders, are lumped in the same category with persons having an Honours Degree, Professional Engineers will not fare well in the marketplace.

As for certifying buildings for Banks anyone who states that they worked as an Engineer for 10 years without any qualification what so ever may satisfy a building for a Bank under the Law Society Guidelines.

[eyeSpy]

An Honours Engineering degrees requires an aptitude within the top 10 percentile of mathematical ability.

that's funny, because right up until my final year when we really started applying the decade or so of honours maths we did I thought I was crap at maths.
Then I started seeing thermodynamics like neo saw the matrix.

One maths teacher refused to teach me in the first few months in 4th year in school. I spent maths in the library for a few months until it got sorted out.
I think it was more to do with the fact that I didn't take his or any other teachers sh|t than my maths ability though.

[HanleyS]

[quote=Darren Mac an Phríora]

That's what I love about a internet.

Muppet.[/quote:2na1a0gh]
If I'm a muppet and even I know that there's only ONE D.I.T. then what does that make you?