Downturn in the technology sector is now over

College Choice: It seems that the tide has turned for graduates of electrical/electronic engineering, based on feedback from industry experts.

Job announcements in the past year from companies such as Dell, Lucent Technologies and Intel clearly signal that the three-year downturn in the technology sector is over.

In recent years, fewer students have chosen to study electrical, electronic and computer engineering, raising the likelihood of a skills gap in these areas in the coming years.

The Forfás expert group on future skills needs estimated a demand in the electronics/microelectronics sector of up to 2,500 professional engineers and 900 technologists per annum. They stated that there was a particular demand for electronic engineers as a proportion of overall demand in the hardware sector.

Furthermore, there was a significant increase in IT job advertising between January and November 2004. Adrian McGuinness, of Sigmar, believes that "IT is on its way up and is showing plenty of signs of renewed activity".

At a recent event in the National College of Ireland, chaired by Leo Enright, chairman of Discover Science and Engineering, contributors suggested that job-growth would be driven by finance, information and communications technology and pharmaceuticals in coming years. So the demand will be high for graduates of electrical, electronics and computer engineering.

But what of the starting salaries? A recent report from the Government-appointed Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (ICSTI) found that engineering graduates do not earn less than graduates in other disciplines.

They found that starting salaries for engineering graduates averaged about €25,000 but could be as high as €35,000. They also found that a broader range of career options was available to engineering graduates compared to those from other disciplines.

Nuala graduated in 1991 with an honours degree in electrical/electronic engineering, specialising in control systems engineering. "I specialised in controls because I wanted to work in industry. I chose process automation, as it is an area that is constantly evolving. My first job was in a small Irish automation consultancy. This gave me my first insight into the strength of the pharmaceutical industry here in Ireland, into which I made my next career move."

Over the next nine years Nuala worked with two key players in the Irish pharmaceutical industry, Leo Laboratories and Elan, in operations engineering and project management, respectively. Like many engineers, Nuala completed an MBA in 2002 and took the opportunity to undertake her own start-up as a pharmaceutical engineering consultant.

"My first consultancy opportunity was the $1.5 billion Wyeth Biopharma campus in Dublin, where I was responsible for managing the commissioning and qualification of the sterile finishing facility on campus. Working for myself has given me the freedom to take time out for my latest project. I have recently given birth to my daughter, Juno. I cut quite a dash in my final months on site with my hard-hat, boots and bump."

The traditional route into the engineering profession is through a four-year programme leading to an honours degree. However, this is not the only route, as both ordinary degrees and higher national certificates are now available from all the third-level colleges.

Honours degrees are four-year programmes, accredited by the various engineering institutions, and graduates are qualified to become members of these institutions. They can then move on to post-graduate, masters or doctoral programmes. Industry does not require graduates with honours degrees to fill many of the technical positions available. To meet the demand for "engineering technologists", many colleges, particularly the Institutes of Technology, offer ordinary degrees.

All colleges operate the "ladder system", whereby students with a second-class honours grade in their higher national certificate and/or ordinary degree can progress to a higher degree. An ordinary engineering degree, therefore, offers a path to a career as a technician or technologist or can be a stepping-stone to an honours degree to those who do not enter college with higher-level Leaving Certificate mathematics. Engineers are employed in various industries, including electronics, chemical and pharmaceutical, telecommunications, software, healthcare, manufacturing, infrastructure and the public services.

The following are the branches of engineering available through the CAO at honours degree level 8: Aeronautical (UL); Chemical/Process (UCC, UCD, CIT); Electrical (DIT, UCC, UCD); Electronic (all colleges); Electronic and Computing (DIT, TCD, UCG); Civil/Structural (TCD, UCC, UCD, UCG, CIT, DIT, Sligo IT); Computer/Software (DIT, TCD, DCU, UL, UCG); IT (UCG); Industrial (UCG); Environmental (TCD); Mechanical/Transport (TCD, UCD, UCG, UL, CIT, DIT); Manufacturing (DIT, IT Tallaght, TCD, UL); Materials/Polymer (Athlone IT); Biosystems (UCD); Building Services (DIT); Mechatronic (DCU) and Telecommunications (DCU).

Level 6 and 7 awards, across the entire range of engineering disciplines, are available through every institute of technology.

Physics is obviously the most suitable of the science subjects for engineering. In recent years, most engineering faculties have moved from general degrees to specific disciplines, although UCD and UCG offer the undenominated route, which allows students to choose their area of specialisation at the end of their first year. NUI Maynooth and UCD have removed the requirement for engineering applicants to meet the NUI third language entry requirement.

The average points requirement for an engineering degree course in 2004 was in the 400-480 range. For a comprehensive guide to careers in engineering, consult the Institute of Engineers website at www.steps.ie/engineeringasacareer/ or acquire a copy of Prof Gerry Byrne's excellent recent book, Engineering as a Career, from the Institute of Engineers.

Graduates of honours degree programmes in the electrical, electronic and computer engineering area will have a broad enough qualification to be in demand in many industries. Key areas of opportunity for these graduates are in the areas of semi-conductor design and fabrication and systems design, development and support.

Those seeking a career in the pharmaceutical industry often focus on chemical engineering. However, there are other routes into the industry, for example by specialising in controls and automation or manufacturing (both available through the DIT).

Significant growth is also expected in the area of software development and in high-value service activities such as business process, e-procurement and supply-chain management. To take advantage of this, students can take degree programmes in computer science, which are available through the CAO from DIT, TCD, UCC, NUI Maynooth, UCD and Griffith College.

Degrees in information systems are available from UL, NUI Galway, DIT, DCU and CIT. In the area of software development, programmes are available from ITs in Letterkenny, Cork, Limerick, Athlone and Carlow, and from UL, NUI Maynooth, TCD, the National College of Ireland and DCU.

Brian Mooney's column on CAO options will appear each weekday in the run-up to the deadline at the end of this month.

You can email Brian Mooney at bmooney@irish-times.ie