This investment was 25% more than the year before and twice as large than the budget in 1936. Britain relied heavily on its air force during both World Wars and the RAF held 5 major functions in the defense plans. These were home defense, counter attack, reconnaissance, trade protection and co-operation. As a result the RAF had a significant part to play in Britain’s War victories with actions such as The Dam-Busters. Even Churchill himself when talking about the Air Fleet after the Battle of Britain said “Never, on the field of human conflict was so much owed by to many to so few”

Even after the war effort, Britain’s average expenditure on its air force was around £17,000,000 and by 1945 Britain had around 27 aircraft companies, which was more than even the USA. This considerable boost in demand and funding sparked significant growth in not just the aerospace industry but also its affiliated industries. These included, most prominently, the specialised engineering sector with companies such as Rolls Royce being transformed from a relatively small company into a major contender in the aerospace engineering industry. It was the development of the Merlin engine which was subsequently used in iconic world war aircraft such as the Spitfire which catapulted this little company to success.

Other British based engineering companies such as BL Pegson also prospered due to the increased investment in the aerospace industry. Pegson pumps were used in many areas of the war effort from mining and construction to the development and usage in some of the early fire engine emergency vehicles. With BL Pegson’s specialist knowledge in the development of pumps and engine cooling systems they expanded into the aircraft industry in 1939 and were strongly involved in the the construction of new aerodromes and also the development of aircraft refueling pumps.

Britain has been well known for its quality of engineering and innovation and it is our knowledge and expertise which have helped to drive our economy. Even now as we sit in the grips of a recession the engineering sector is blossoming with its strong involvement in areas such as the £250 Billion Offshore Industry this could be the perfect time for Britain to go back to its roots and invest in its engineering base.

Caron J Rose

Environmental Engineer
This is quite a varied role and requires experiences in several different fields including Biology, Engineering, Chemistry and a knowledge of the environment. An Environmental Engineer spends their time monitoring air and water pollution in order to be able to design recycling plans to conduct research on hazardous waste control.

Industrial Engineer
The main role of an industrial engineer is to ensure that companies and organisations produce their products in a safe, fast and reliable way.

Marine Engineers
This is a very demanding but interesting role which can result in a very rewarding and varied career in the Engineering industry. The main responsibility of a marine engineer is to make, build, create and design waterborne vehicles such as aircraft carries, submarines, tankers and ships.

Cost Engineers
The main goal of a Cost Engineer is to use their knowledge to predict and deliver projects costs. A Cost Engineer has the ability to accurately estimate a budget for a project and ensure that projects are kept within the agreed budget.

Some of the tasks that a Cost Engineer might be involved in include predicting how much resources, allocated time and money a project will need to function effectively. Candidates wishing to advance into this role must arm themselves with an in depth knowledge of the Engineering Industry. They must also have the ability to make the appropriate links between science and business delivery.

Project Managers
This is a standard role that is essential to the Engineering Industry and a successful project manager can play a significant part in the success and completion of an Engineering project.

Project managers have the ability and authority to plan, control and organise the smooth running of industrial processes. Therefore they must have proven planning and organisational skills.

Some of the main responsibilities of a Production Manager in the

The engineering industry is an interesting case to examine because it captures several broader trends in quite an amazing fashion. Perhaps the most poignant example of this can be seen in the general talent struggle that is going on between developed and developing nations, with the latter gaining increasing territory at the expense of the former. Consider this: while degree generation in the science and engineering sectors in the United States has remained pretty stagnant, in countries like China, India, the Middle East and even parts of Europe the figures have risen quite impressively. Not only are countries like China and India pumping out a formidable volume of engineers and scientists, but furthermore major engineering firms are placing ever-greater trust in the capabilities of these professionals-a significant development that is completely unprecedented.

This scenario has led to the diminishing of hi-tech jobs in the United States as well as other developed nations and the increase of such jobs elsewhere-again, mainly China and India. The outsourcing model has only intensified as a result of the recession of these past two to three years (we won’t engage here in speculation on when exactly when it was that the crisis began), and as manufacturing work has gone abroad so has the engineering work that is needed to support and guide it. As more and more engineering work is shipped off to foreign lands, engineers will increasingly find that their job prospects are better abroad than at home.

Yet the state of the engineering industry in developed nations is nonetheless doing pretty well, as contradictory as that may seem, and analysts predict that this industry will be one of the principal vehicles for the United States as well as other nations to emerge from the current crisis. A few of the most promising areas within the industry would have to be those tied into development of alternative energies, biotech in general, as well as computer, systems and internet engineering. Software engineers in particular remain in pretty high demand and prove that though the hi-tech engineering field has experienced significant changes (re: the outsourcing trends mentioned above) there is still reason to be optimistic.

To recap, the state of the engineering industry is actually fairly good in comparison to other industries though certain engineering disciplines are doing much better than others. Innovation is going to be what really gets the trick done for engineers and their broader field-a notion that is just as applicable now as always.