To coincide with National Careers Week (4 to 8 March 2024), EngineeringUK has previewed the findings of a new report which reveals nearly three-quarters of graduates who studied engineering and technology (72.5%) were in paid work for an employer 15 months after graduation. This is higher than that for graduates from all other subjects combined (69.7%) — highlighting the high demand for engineering and technology skills.

A significant proportion of people studying engineering and technology in higher education are going on to work in engineering. Of the engineering and technology graduates in paid work for an employer, 67.8% went on to work in an engineering occupation, and most of these (66.5%) are working in the engineering industry, up from 60% reported last year.

Encouragingly, engineers were significantly more likely to agree that their degree was relevant to their job than non-engineering graduates. Longer-term career prospects also look promising as engineers were significantly more likely to agree that they feel ‘on track’ with their plans for the future compared to non-engineers. Salary prospects are also good, with graduates in engineering occupations tending to earn more money than graduates in non-engineering occupations. Most engineering graduates said they were on a salary of between £25,000 to £30,000, or even higher.

Dr Hilary Leevers, EngineeringUK chief executive, said: “Engineering and technology is a critical industry in the UK with a growing and exciting range of job opportunities — which makes it a popular degree subject choice. Our report highlights that engineering graduates can look forward to strong employability prospects, competitive salaries and can hit the ground running with their career ambitions shortly after graduating.

“National Careers Week is an ideal time for our sector to showcase to young people the range of excellent benefits a career in engineering and technology can offer. While higher education is the most common route into the sector, there are also excellent technical and vocational routes — such as apprenticeships and T Levels — making it an accessible career choice for all young people.”

Emily Xu, a chemical engineering graduate who now works at AtkinsRéalis, said: “My education and career in STEM has opened up many opportunities to design innovative solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems and meet like-minded engineers and scientists. My degree gave me strong technical foundations and developed my problem-solving mindset, allowing me to work in almost any industry — from engineering and technology to pharmaceuticals and food science.

“At AtkinsRéalis, I am working on developing strategies for advanced air mobility, which will explore how sustainable flying taxis can integrate into the transport sector and become commonplace in our skies. I would encourage any young person to consider studying STEM because you could be part of the next generation of engineers to lead the technological advancements required for a sustainable future.”