From problem solving to innovation - Why study Engineering?
Recently I was at a Further Education college in Cheshire talking to students at an event. After the normal conversation about whether I have met Ryan Reynolds and Rob McIlhenny (I haven’t) and how good Wrexham AFC are this season (I am a season ticket holder) we got down to discussing Engineering.
I was asked, what are the main reasons for studying Engineering and why study at Wrexham University in particular? It’s a reasonable question, but I couldn’t really decide on the best answer.
Below are some of the reasons to consider Engineering as a career and why Wrexham University may be a great fit for your studies.
Engineers are in demand
It won’t take long for anyone to research the number of Engineering roles there are currently available in the UK and internationally.
There is a clear skills gap that has formed over the years with The Institution of Engineering and Technology there is a short fall of 173,000 workers in the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) sector. For graduates within Engineering, there are well paid jobs out there with great career prospects for those that have the knowledge.
At Wrexham University we developed our courses with industry influence, to ensure that our graduates have the skills that companies need. In effect, our degrees engineer engineers.
Engineering is an international career
As I mentioned, engineers are needed worldwide, and UK Engineering degrees are well respected and sought after.
Wrexham University Engineering graduates are working all over the world, in countries such as Canada, Malaysia, Germany, Spain and New Zealand. The opportunity to travel is there if you want it, and your skills will be in demand.
Engineers are problem solvers
We do this through the application of theory.
By nature, Engineering is a technical subject, but getting to the route of any issue requires investigative critical thinking skills.
This requires a diversity of skills which include high level of mathematics, but the application of equations, and understanding their definitions, is where engineers excel.
In our modules at Wrexham University, we aim to make assessments as authentic as possible, using real world examples and applications to simulate what happens in industry.
Engineers are the leaders of change
Look around you, everything you can see has been engineered in some way, from the simple light bulb to the device that you may be reading this on.
We design, maintain, process, and invent solutions to new and existing problems. This makes us leaders of change, which is critically important in facing the sustainability and climate issues of the world today.
Key to this, is empowering our students to become independent learners. This is our aim at Wrexham University, with academic and support staff working together to provide the skills needed.
Engineering is a practical subject
To be able to design solutions we need to first understand how they can be made and how they are to be used.
That may be through traditional manufacturing and fabrication methods or using new and exciting technologies such as additive manufacturing. Our modules have been designed to reflect this and to include practical laboratory work.
Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre (EEOC) Artist Render
As part of our innovative £80m Campus 2025 project, we are investing in our facilities with a new Science Engineering Quarter and Enterprise Engineering building to facilitate these experiences.
Engineers are communicators
Whether through reports, presentations, drawings, prototypes or 3D models, engineers must communicate their ideas through many means to technical and non-technical audiences.
At Wrexham University we support this with diverse assessment tasks and teaching styles and aim to develop these critical skills.
Want to discover even more about Engineering at Wrexham University? Why not come to our next Open Day? Explore our undergraduate or postgraduate Engineering degrees and ignite your passion for innovation today.
Written by Martyn Jones, Senior Lecturer in Engineering