Wherever we look, we see engineering impacting our everyday lives—from the evolution of the buildings in which we live and work to the road networks that get us from point to point and the planes that get us to distant locations. Engineering jobs are often taken for granted, but they significantly influence how we work and navigate our world, progressing lives in every area they touch.
Despite volatility in the market surrounding supply chain disruptions, geopolitical manoeuvring, shifting material costs and inflation, the engineering job market remains buoyant.
So, what are the fastest-growing sectors in engineering, how are they attracting candidates, what is needed to enter their workforces, what are their current agendas, and what is their future outlook?
1. Automotive Engineering
As the global automotive market value is expected to hit $360bn by 2030, the demand for talented automotive engineers is rising.
With the shift to electric vehicles and low-emission biodiesels, alongside investments in autonomous driving technologies and new safety measures, the automotive industry is experiencing growth across all regions.
Entry requirements and responsibilities of automotive engineers
Engineers looking to transition into the automotive industry would typically be expected to hold a degree that grants accreditation with an industry body such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers or the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Many degree courses offer this, but typically engineers will study in a field such as:
- Mechanical engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Automotive engineering
Demand for skills is generally split evenly between two different areas: technical or “traditional” engineering, as required for the varied design and manufacturing phases of vehicle production, and technological engineering, such as software development, data analytics and user interface design.
Following entry into the industry, engineers will typically be tasked with the following duties:
- Collaborating with their colleagues on research and development tasks
- Discovering lightweight and safe materials to use in their designs
- Solving the challenges presented by shifting government emissions regulations through the use of aerodynamic, pneumatic, mechanical or electrical concepts
Every day will often contain a multitude of tasks which involve skills covering the entirety of their skill sets, from mathematics and physics to their commercial understanding of the automotive sector as a whole.
The current agenda and future outlook of automotive engineering
The current focus of the automotive industry is on the transition towards electric vehicles, whether hybrids (HEVs) or battery-powered (BEVs). Additionally, advancements in drivetrain technology continue to gather pace, increasing reliability and reducing service and maintenance costs over the vehicle's lifetime.
Internal combustion engines (ICE) still currently dominate the market. However, with increasing pressure expected as nations such as the UK get closer to their 2030 deadline for stopping the sale of all new ICE vehicles, automotive engineers will be looking to manufacture cars and motorcycles which produce lower emissions or can leverage biofuels.
Today's automotive industry focuses on attracting candidates by integrating cutting-edge technologies into the engineering and manufacturing workflow, alongside increased research and new product development spending. With the demand for environmentally-friendly personal transportation only set to grow, the future looks bright for the automotive engineering sector.
2. Civil Engineering
The civil engineering industry is being driven towards innovation and change in its business practices as a result of not only the increased material costs and supply chain disruptions we’ve already mentioned but also the demand for new low-emission or renewable energy projects. Alongside this is the need for major projects to have their carbon footprint and overall sustainability factored into their design and construction processes.
Across the globe, several countries are heavily investing in expanding their infrastructure by constructing new hydropower and solar power projects and developing new roadways and rail systems that will keep materials and people moving.
Entry requirements and responsibilities of civil engineers
Like most engineering sectors, civil engineering is experiencing its own skills shortage. There is an expected 8% rise in roles over the years leading to 2030, but with a growing population, there’s no sign of this slowing down beyond the start of the next decade, either.
Engineers looking to enter the industry will be expected to hold an accredited degree in a field such as mechanical or electrical engineering. Still, alongside this, technological and project management skills will become an increasingly important commodity in the hiring process for civil engineering.
Though no two days are the same, civil engineers will typically be tasked with:
- Project management duties, ensuring civil engineering projects are proceeding efficiently and within budget
- Designing new systems and processes using cutting-edge software tools
- Liaising with key internal and external stakeholders to ensure projects are compliant and the local community are made aware of their progress and any disruptions
As the civil engineering industry evolves, there is a commensurate demand for engineers with diverse skill sets ready for the shift that artificial intelligence and automation will bring to working procedures.
The current agenda and future outlook of civil engineering
Civil engineering around water supply looks increasingly lucrative as we move into the decade. For example, one of the most expensive and ambitious engineering and construction undertakings in history—the South-North Water Transfer project—is planned to transport a staggering 44.8 billion cubic metres of water per year between population centres in China at an estimated cost of around $79bn.
With governments emphasising public transport use for short-haul journeys, schemes such as the UK government’s Levelling Up fund mean that increasing numbers of overground and underground rapid transport solutions such as Cardiff and Cornwall’s planned metro systems—as well as the well-known High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project—are being green-lit.
Beyond public transport, civil engineers are maintaining and re-developing existing structures to meet net-zero targets. From shifting to new materials with a lower embodied carbon footprint to using zero-carbon electricity in heating buildings, civil engineering is helping to reshape the world for a more environmentally-sustainable future.
3. Defence Engineering
Defence spending by governments across the globe is anticipated to grow throughout 2023. In addition, with geopolitical tensions on the rise, many European nations aim to modernise their armed forces and provide them with innovative technologies, investing heavily in emerging defence markets such as advanced air mobility (AAM) and cybersecurity.
With this increase in spending, the defence engineering sector is experiencing an increasing demand for talent due to an ageing workforce moving into senior or executive roles or retiring altogether. Furthermore, as countries worldwide adopt tighter border controls and seek to restrict the free movement of labour forces, the demand is only set to grow and strain the already-limited talent pool available to defence contractors.
Entry requirements and responsibilities of defence engineers
Entry into the defence engineering sector depends on the area a candidate wishes to work in, but typically would involve earning an accredited engineering degree from a university in a field such as mechanical, electrical or aerospace engineering.
Accredited engineering graduates looking to enter the defence industry would be expected to keep their skills up to date to respond to the ever-changing defensive needs of their nation, as well as obtain security clearance for certain projects. Similarly, collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams whilst producing deliverables on time and within budget is also vital for engineers in this sector.
As a result, the composition of the workforce in the defence industry is shifting towards candidates with vital skills in technology, mathematics, programming and data science.
In defence manufacturing, an engineer's typical day-to-day responsibilities will resemble other fields, including project management, collaboration with colleagues and CAD software to develop new machinery and technology. Alongside this, defence engineers are looking to innovate and transform the factory by leveraging advanced technologies, such as:
- Cloud computing
- Artificial intelligence
- Machine learning
- The “smart factory” paradigm
These smart factories are considered the key to the future growth of the industry through increases in productivity, efficiency and safety. In addition, smart factories that utilise impactful technologies and big data can more easily respond to fluctuating demand and supply chain issues.
The current agenda and future outlook of defence engineering
Historically considered one of the most challenging industries to decarbonise, defence engineering is making strides towards sustainability.
Advanced manufacturing processes, alongside sustainable aviation fuels and electronic or hydrogen propulsion development, are reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste products across the defence sector.
Defence engineering contractors are looking to attract new talent through organisational changes to management and overall culture. By focusing on and facilitating an organisation-wide culture of innovation, clear paths for career development and up-skilling, and paying higher salaries, business leaders in the defence industry can meet the needs and expectations of the modern workforce.
4. Industrial Engineering
When we look at the statistics, industrial engineering is one of the fastest-growing sectors in engineering, if not the fastest-growing sector. With a 14% increase in the size of the industrial engineering workforce expected by 2030, talented engineering candidates will be increasingly sought after.
Entry requirements and responsibilities of industrial engineers
Candidates looking to begin a career in industrial engineering would typically be expected to hold an accredited undergraduate or master’s degree in a related field, such as:
- Electrical engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Civil engineering
- Process operations and maintenance
As a result of the transformative impact of the last decade on the field, today’s industrial engineers are often expected to possess strong IT skills since computer simulation and computer-aided design software play a significant role in their day-to-day activities.
Industrial engineers' work seeks to improve business efficiency, employee safety and product quality whilst reducing production costs and environmental harm.
Working across all aspects of production and processing, and often across multiple engineering sectors, industrial engineers seek to expand or design new equipment and leverage new materials to achieve these goals.
Alongside this work, digital technologies have transformed the industrial engineering sector, with big data and machine learning utilised to solve production problems.
The current agenda and future outlook of industrial engineering
As manufacturing equipment becomes increasingly more complex and miniaturised, engineers will also be expected to familiarise themselves with electrical engineering principles alongside their original areas of study and accreditation.
Despite the positive news about growth in the industry, the skills shortage heavily impacts industrial engineering. These shortages will affect productivity and efficiency, meaning sustainable development targets may be missed. Therefore, attracting and retaining talented candidates will be a significant concern for hiring managers in industrial engineering as we continue into 2023.
As a result, many organisations in the sector are focusing on the aspects of employment which engineering candidates highly value:
- Investments in skill building
- Clearer support in their career progression
- Focusing on purpose and community-driven organisational goals
- Embracing diversity and inclusion initiatives to open their workplaces up to the engineering talent of tomorrow
With industrial engineering playing such a key role in designing and implementing sustainable and green procedures and processes, building a resilient workforce that can rise to the challenges that will face the sector in the future is imperative.
5. Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineering is at the forefront of technological and process-based developments in engineering.
Focusing on using their skills to help people across the world live healthily for longer, biomedical engineers are typically experts in both the life sciences and in an area of engineering such as electrical or mechanical engineering.
Entry requirements and responsibilities of biomedical engineers
Biomedical engineers will work alongside multi-disciplinary teams, with chemists, physiologists, process scientists and software developers collaborating to produce medical devices such as prosthetic limbs, joint and organ replacements, and other advancements that will enable physicians to address injuries and physical disabilities more effectively. Biomedical engineers will help improve lives by improving access to medical services and treatments.
Alongside qualifications in an engineering or life sciences field, biomedical engineers will also need the following skills:
- To be well-versed in all aspects of bringing a new medical product onto the market
- Familiarity with conducting quality assurance activities to evaluate the safety of their new medical devices
- The ability to engage with the clinical trials process and the regulations surrounding testing new therapies on animals and humans
Biomedical engineers will have several responsibilities on an average day, but these duties typically fall around the medical devices they help create. From designing and installing biomedical equipment such as scanners or measuring devices to working alongside scientists and physicians to construct prostheses or artificial internal organs, their work will see them utilise their skills to push medicine forward.
The current agenda and future outlook of biomedical engineering
Jobs in the sector are expected to grow by 6% over the decade due to physicians and healthcare professionals increasingly leveraging the technologies and software that biomedical engineers produce.
Despite this, the skills gap is holding back organisations in the field, as they find it challenging to attract and retain the niche candidates that are called for in biomedical engineering.
Hiring managers in the biomedical engineering sector are looking to appeal to candidates through competitive wages and strong value propositions, such as inflation-matching yearly salary reviews, flexible and hybrid working, and training opportunities.
The growth of biomedical engineering jobs is expected to be higher than the average for almost all occupations over the coming decade. Being a field which often calls for graduate degrees in specialised subject areas, it is well-remunerated, even amongst other engineering roles.
Given the ambitious nature of the candidates looking to work in the biomedical engineering sector, appealing to their nature to gain new knowledge and be rewarded for their hard work is bound to reduce employee turnover.
The outlook for these sectors in engineering
As we edge into 2023, demands for sustainability and engineering talent mean that the global engineering market is forecasted to grow by almost $50bn in 2023, up to $1,156bn.
With all this considered, however, vacancies in various engineering sectors remain high—with many business leaders polled by Deloitte for their 2023 Engineering and Construction Industry Outlook noting that securing talented engineers was a primary organisational concern for the year.
This shortage of supply in skills and expertise, primarily due to an ageing workforce and a tight labour market, means that many companies are reshaping their established ways of working.
By introducing purpose-driven goals that have a transformative impact on communities and causes, alongside cutting-edge technologies and an up-skilling of their existing workforce, engineering organisations continue to look to attract and retain talented candidates.
Discover your next job across the engineering sectors
At Amoria Bond, we’re committed to progressing lives everywhere by providing recruitment services for some of the world's most exciting and innovative organisations. We specialise in many of the engineering sectors discussed above including renewable energy, life sciences, process manufacting and embedded software—with engineering jobs at all disciplines and levels available. So if you’re looking to transition into a role within another engineering sector or want a more senior position within the industry, our team can help you find an engineering job aligned with your career goals. Contact us to discuss your skills and requirements today.
