engineering perspectives A re p o r t o n t h e c a re e r s o f a n d challenges facing engineers in Ire l a n d i n 2 0 1 3 .
great minds Leadership and Specialist, Permanent and Contract Recruitment through three practice areas: Science and Technology Practice Professional Services Practice Commercial Practice
p: (+353 1) 632 1800 | e:
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e ngi n e e ri ng p e r s p e c t ive s | re p o r t 2 0 1 3
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engineering perspectives - introduction
Welcome to Engineering Perspectives 2013, a survey carried out in conjunction with HRM Recruit to give us an insight into the engineering profession in Ireland in 2013. Engineering, like all professions, has been challenged over the last number of years but we are beginning to see a rise in demand for engineers in Ireland most notably in the technology, energy and life-sciences area. The versatility of the profession is again playing a pivotal role in attractiveness for would-be employers in bringing jobs to Ireland. The survey also takes into account the opinions of working professionals whose undergraduate degree is engineering but are not necessarily working in the engineering field. Further proof of the skilled foundations an engineering degree can provide for an individual and guide them on their career path. Some highlights of the survey include; 1. Men outnumber women in the engineering profession by nearly nine to one. 2. Three quarters of engineers surveyed belong to a professional engineering association. 3. Less than 5% of engineers are currently unemployed. 4. Male engineers are almost twice as likely to work in senior management compared to female engineers. 5. Engineering is an extremely diverse profession with numerous career streams. 6. 40% of professionals with an engineering qualification, but working in non-engineering roles, do so in General or Operations Management. 7. Nearly 40% of engineers surveyed are with their employers for more than eight years. 8. 45% of engineers surveyed received a salary increase in the last three years. 9. 63% of engineers report their organisations have made employees redundant in the last three years. 10. More than 95% of engineers surveyed see the ability to communicate with non-engineering professionals as vital. Finally I would like to thank HRM Recruit for their work in the design and compilation of this survey and report but most important of all, I would like to thank the engineers who took the time to take part in this survey to help us generate a picture of what it is like to be an engineer in Ireland in 2013.
John Power Director General Engineers Ireland
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the respondents
your gender? Male
86.6%
Female
13.4%
your age profile?
The Importance of Research
0 to 25 years
5.3%
26 to 35 years
29.6%
36 to 45 years
31.9%
46 to 55 years
20.3%
56 to 65 years
7.9%
66 years +
5.0%
Judgement is the single most important value a recruitment partner brings to its customers. Through this, the best in talent and not just what is to hand, can be sourced to meet critical talent needs. Expert knowledge of the professional labour markets in which we operate, on which our judgement is based, is borne from the many strands of research HRM
are you a member of a professional engineering association? Yes, in Ireland
66.6%
Yes, in the UK
4.7%
Yes, outside of Ireland or the UK
3.4%
No
25.3%
Recruit undertakes annually. We work to understand more about the talent drivers in each segment and develop pipelines of the best talent to support the current and future needs of our customers. Research is central to everything we do at HRM Recruit, how we source great
are you a member of engineers ireland? Yes
70.8%
No
29.2%
talent, how we create great employment relationships and how we keep our clients ahead of their own competition.
your employment status We are delighted to share in this Employed in a permanent role
68.2%
largest professional bodies. At this
Employed by choice in a contract role
4.9%
critical time in Ireland’s economic
Employed in a contract role while seeking permanent work
10.4%
Self-employed
6.1%
Self-employed with employees
3.1%
Retired
2.7%
Unemployed
4.6%
research programme with Engineers Ireland, one of the country’s oldest and
recovery, the engineering profession takes on a central role, as we look to exporters, research and development and energy as cornerstones on which a better future may be built.
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location of respondents
do/did you work in ireland or overseas In Ireland
86.4%
Overseas
13.6%
This report looks to the profession of engineering and takes a perspective on the current state of related careers in Ireland in 2013.
where in ireland do you work? (>2% only) Dublin
45.7%
Cork
12.6%
Galway
6.7%
Kildare
5.6%
Limerick
3.8%
Waterford
2.2%
Sligo
2.0%
Where are engineers working today? What jobs are they doing? How does engineering rate as a career route for professionals today? What are the characteristics of a good engineer? What are the alternative careers paths within engineering? How does an engineering qualification support people who take a different path? The report also investigates the experience of engineers and their organisations over the last three years, in light of the economic downturn. As with all professionals and other occupation types, engineers are challenged with the blight of
where overseas do you work?
unemployment. Their highly mobile skills
UK
36.6%
Europe (Not UK)
19.2%
America
13.8%
Asia
13.8%
Australia
11.2%
Africa
5.4%
however, mean that should they choose to work overseas they are rarely out of work for long. Indeed Irish employers are beginning to face competition from overseas organisations in attracting their valuable skills. For the purpose of this survey, participants if they are currently unemployed, are asked on each occasion to consider their most recent position and employer. The survey conducted in conjunction with
why do you work overseas?
Engineers Ireland used an online
My own choice
44.2%
Lack of suitable work in Ireland
54.9%
Taking a gap year to travel
0.9%
questionnaire, with 2,064 related professionals taking part during January and February 2013. Some detail on the respondents is contained in these pages.
The significant gender gap between respondents throws up an immediate challenge to the engineering profession as it suggests women have not been drawn to this career path in any numbers. This is anecdotally supported by some of the additional comments made by respondents when completing the survey. That said, 50% of female respondents are 35 years of age or younger versus 32% of male participants which may imply that the trend is beginning to reverse. e n g i n e e r i n g p e r s p e c t ive s | re p o r t 2013
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education and competences
your current level of education? Statistically, respondents in the age bracket 36 to 45 years are most likely to have a post-graduate degree. Unusual when compared with other professions, engineers with post-graduate
Undergraduate degree or equivalent
56.8%
Post-graduate degree
40.6%
No third level qualification
2.6%
qualifications are more likely to work within an indigenous firm versus a multinational organisation. 31.6% of respondents who describe their careers as non-engineering and their current role as General Management hold a post-
are you undergoing further education? Currently pursuing a Masters Degree
8.1%
Currently pursuing a Post-grad Diploma
5.1%
Currently studying at Certificate level
3.8%
Currently engaged in internal training
29.4%
Not participating in any further education
53.6%
graduate degree. 17.1% of participants who work in Pharmachem Manufacturing do likewise. Proportionally speaking, female respondents are twice as likely as males, to be currently pursuing a Masters Degree.
what are the important personal competences for a successful career in engineering? extremely important
important
An expert with a broad base of knowledge
30.7%
60.0%
A persuader
14.4%
A strategic thinker with an eye for detail
no opinion
slightly important
not important at all
6.7%
1.9%
0.7%
58.7%
20.9%
4.5%
1.5%
39.8%
53.2%
4.8%
1.7%
0.5%
A problem solver
67.6%
30.9%
0.9%
0.1%
0.5%
An innovator
30.7%
54.8%
10.5%
3.1%
0.9%
A communicator
47.1%
48.3%
3.1%
1.0%
0.5%
A people leader
23.6%
52.3%
18.5%
4.7%
0.9%
A creative individual
23.4%
55.7%
14.7%
5.2%
1.0%
There is little difference between genders in responding to the matter of personal competences for a successful career in engineering. Female engineers placed a slightly higher emphasis on persuasion and communication skills, male engineers do likewise on the issue of creativity. Engineers aged 36 years upwards place a higher importance on persuasion skills than their younger counterparts. Being a problem solver is regarded overall as the most important personal competency for a successful career in engineering.
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employment
do/did you work in the public or private sector? Private sector, including the self-employed
73.4%
Public Sector, including state and semi-state
23.9%
Other
2.7%
Survey respondents whom are currently studying full time or whom have retired, along with some respondents currently out of work make up the majority of the “Other” featured here. Proportionately, a third more female engineers work in
which of these describes your organisation?
Public Sector than male engineers. Engineers working in Manufacturing are
Service industry
61.2%
Manufacturing
26.6%
Research & Development
6.6%
Academia
3.1%
Full time study
2.5%
most likely to be in the age range 26-45 years, while 56-65 year olds are most likely to work for a service organisation. Engineers in Research & Development are more likely to be aged 35 or less. Representation in this sector decreases amongst respondents as age rises. The balance of employment between
do you work in a multinational organisation or an indigenous firm? Multinational
43.6%
Indigenous
50.8%
Indigenous to, and in another country
5.6%
Multinational and Indigenous organisations is encouraging on one hand, though it may also be indicative of the former still retaining research or design activities overseas. A recent report from the CSO indicates that R&D spend is to rise from €1.9 billion in 2011 to €2 billion in 2012. Foreign owned
do you work in an engineering related role?
enterprises account for 71% of this spend, consequently this position seems
Yes
89.9%
to be slowly improving.
No
10.1%
There is no gender difference between firm types, however 16% of female
what is the level of your current engineering related position? Company Director
10.7%
Function Head
6.6%
Senior Manager
13.6%
Middle Manager
23.3%
Individual Contributor
19.0%
Line Support
3.8%
Technical Specialist
23.0%
respondents indicated that they do not work in an engineering related role, versus just 9% of male engineers. Female engineers are twice as likely to work as Individual Contributors, male respondents are almost twice as likely to work at Senior Manager or Function Head levels and three times more likely to operate at Company Director. Less than 4% of respondents at Company Director level are aged 35 or less. Less than 8% of those aged 56 or more work as Individual Contributors. e n g i n e e r i n g p e r s p e c t ive s | re p o r t 2013
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employment by industry segment in which sector do/did you work? The diverse opportunities that a career in
Financial Services
0.7%
Pharmachem Manufacturing
6.1%
Construction & Property Services
14.2%
Environmental
2.0%
Electronic Assembly
0.9%
Telecoms
0.8%
Transport/Aviation/Automotive
1.4%
Distribution/Logistics
0.6%
Medical Devices
7.0%
noteable.
Software/Technology Services
5.6%
Proportionately more female engineers
FMCG
2.2%
Biopharm
2.4%
a career in Engineering Services.
Not-for-profit
0.2%
The top three sectors attracting Irish
Retail
0.3%
Consultancy
11.0%
Public Sector/Local Authority/Utility
9.8%
Health
0.8%
Energy/Oil&Gas/Renewables
11.4%
Insurance
0.3%
Other Manufacturing
2.0%
Education
2.6%
Engineering Services
15.8%
Equipment Test, Supply & Service
0.4%
Other
1.5%
engineering provides is a continuous theme of this report. The wide range of career sectors in which engineers are employed is listed here. Included also by respondents is the segment in which they work, and included under “Other”, are Tourism/Hospitality, Contact Centres, Mining and Legal Services. Unsurprisingly, the big four here are Engineering Services; Construction & Property Services; Energy, Oil & Gas, Renewables and Consultancy. Public Sector/Local Authority/Utility and Pharmachem Manufacturing are also
work in Medical Devices than males, while the latter are more likely to choose
engineers overseas are 1) Engineering Services 2) Construction and 3) Energy.
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careers which of the following best describes your current or most recent engineering role? While this table clearly demonstrates the Research & Development
4.2%
Design
11.9%
Project Management
21.8%
Process Support
6.6%
Product Engineering
3.6%
Software Engineering
3.8%
Hardware Engineering
1.5%
Systems Architecture
0.9%
Telecommunications
1.3%
Service & Support
5.2%
wide range of roles to which engineers can apply their careers, the many “Other” responses given to this survey question demonstrate the variety a career in engineering can provide. Included were Clinical Engineering, Forensic Engineering, Six Sigma Engineering, Validation, Regulatory Affairs, Procurement and Supply Chain. Project Management is the largest employment category for both male and female engineers. The same can be said for those with Undergraduate or PostGraduate qualifications. Of the career path choices given,
Managerial
11.0%
Construction - Build
6.3%
Construction - Design
12.2%
Sales
1.2%
survey participants.
Maintenance & Utilities
1.3%
Clearly engineering roles have changed
Energy & Environmental
0.7%
Education
1.0%
Systems Architecture and Sales have the lowest representation amongst female
Health, Safety, Fire & Risk
0.6%
Mechanical Engineering
0.2%
Electrical Engineering
0.3%
Quality
0.8%
Other
3.6%
respondents. Proportionately 50% more male respondents describe themselves as Managerial in role type than female
beyond recognition in the last 25 years, a time when careers were split along traditional Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Chemical and Industrial Engineering paths. The advent of foreign multinational manufacturers in high volume assembly operations were central to this change in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Firms like Amdahl, Motorola and Dell amongst many others drove demand for change in university programmes as they sought skills in manufacturing support and automation, design for manufacturability, product reliability and quality. The rapid advances in technology and demand for greater efficiencies in every aspect of life have continued this career evolution.
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alternative career paths if you were beginning your career all over again, which of the following would apply to you? The core competences of engineering provide an excellent bedrock from which many successful career paths can be pursued. One in every ten is currently working in a non-engineering role and
I would choose Engineering
32.8%
I would probably choose Engineering
34.9%
I do not know if I would choose Engineering
20.2%
I would probably not choose Engineering
8.7%
I would definitely not choose Engineering
3.4%
three quarters of these believe that their engineering qualification has been an enabling advantage to them. Male respondents were 15% more likely to have planned a move out of engineering than their female counterparts. Of this
you are currently in a non-engineering role. which of these describes your position?
non-engineering group, men are five times more likely than women to be working at Company Director level. Female respondents are twice as likely to describe themselves as Middle
Legal/Compliance
3.3%
Marketing
1.3%
IT
10.6%
HR
2.0%
Supply Chain
8.6%
Science
8.6%
General Management
27.2%
Operations
15.2%
Sales
6.6%
Banking
2.0%
Accountancy
2.0%
Administration
1.3%
Education
2.0%
Other
9.3%
Managers.
was your move out of engineering by choice? Yes, I always intended to move out of Engineering
33.1%
No, this move was not planned in any way
66.9%
has your engineering qualification been an advantage in your non-engineering role?
e ngi n e e ri ng pe r s p e c t ive s | re p o r t 2 0 1 3
Yes, it has been an advantage to me
72.2%
No, it has not been an advantage to me
27.8%
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employment terms and prospects how long have you been working with your current employer? Less than 1 year
17.6%
1 to 3 years
20.4%
4 to 7 years
23.1%
8 to 10 years
9.5%
10 years +
29.4%
Tenure understandably rises with age. Nearly 50% of respondents aged 25 or less, describe themselves as being under 1 year at their current employer versus just over 12.5% of those aged between 56 and 65. 61% of this latter age group
have you received a salary increase in the last three years?
indicate they are 10 years or more with their current organisations. Proportionately, women have higher representation at each tenure level until the 10 years+ range, where males are
Yes
45.0%
No
55.0%
do you receive a benefits package as part of your remuneration? Yes, I received benefits in 2012
36.8%
Yes, but they are currently suspended
5.9%
No, I do not receive benefits
57.3%
50% more likely to be with their current employers for this period. Employers of engineers may well be about to face retention challenges as concern about income levels is a theme in the survey feedback. It is striking to note that 55% of engineers have not
do you receive a bonus as part of your remuneration? Yes, I received a bonus in 2012
29.1%
Yes, but it was not paid in 2012
10.2%
No, I do not receive a bonus
60.7%
received a salary increase in the last three years. Nearly 63% indicate they are not currently receiving benefits, while over 70% did not receive a bonus in 2012 and almost 61% do not have bonus as part of their pay arrangements. Perhaps the new generation of engineers are already arguing their case on this matter. Exceptions to the pay increase statistic are engineers in the age range 26-35 years, 58% of whom received an increase, as did 52.4% of all female respondents.
in which way, if at all, has the economic downturn impacted your career? yes
no
I have changed industry sector within the last three years
25.0%
75.0%
The organisation I work for has made redundancies in the last three years
62.6%
37.4%
I have been made redundant in the last three years
20.5%
79.5%
I have had my benefits package cut in the last three years
56.9%
43.1%
My workload has increased in the last three years
72.3%
27.7%
The organisation I work for has increased headcount in the last three years
31.5%
68.5%
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engineering futures which of the following statements relating to engineering careers do you agree with? I would recommend engineering as a career to leaving certificate students Engineering is less hands on today, than it was ten years ago Soft skills are an essential competency for an engineer today The ability to communicate to nonengineering professionals is vital A successful career in engineering today requires strong financial skills Today, a post graduate business education is essential for a successful engineering career An engineering qualification offers more than just a technical qualification
strongly agree
agree
no opinion
disagree
strongly disagree
33.2%
41.5%
14.7%
7.1%
3.5%
14.8%
44.6%
20.6%
17.0%
3.0%
49.6%
43.2%
5.7%
0.9%
0.6%
63.5%
32.6%
2.5%
0.9%
0.5%
17.3%
50.2%
22.0%
9.6%
0.9%
12.7%
28.1%
30.0%
24.0%
5.2%
33.0%
47.1%
12.0%
6.3%
1.6%
which of the following do you see as challenges facing the future of engineering? a significant challenge
Addressing the engineering skills shortages and skills matches today and for the future Inspiring young people to pursue STEM subjects at school Appeal of engineering as a life long profession to secondary students Creating greater alignment of objectives between engineering and the business Other professionals understanding the value engineers can bring to an organisation The threat of competition for Irish engineering talent from overseas firms
a challenge
no opinion
not really a challenge
definitely not a challenge
33.4%
50.1%
8.5%
6.5%
1.5%
39.2%
47.5%
6.8%
5.8%
0.7%
34.2%
49.7%
8.0%
7.6%
0.5%
16.3%
51.7%
23.4%
8.0%
0.6%
39.8%
42.0%
9.7%
7.8%
0.7%
25.8%
37.9%
19.0%
14.9%
2.4%
Three quarters of respondents would recommend engineering as a career path to leaving certificate students. Proportionately female respondents are almost 15% more likely to do so. As the lines between different professions blur a little at the edges and leadership and project experts work more closely as teams, soft skills and communication skills are seen as overwhelmingly important for today’s engineering professionals, female respondents feel 10 to 15% more strongly about this. In support of the earlier points made about the diversity offered by a career in engineering and the wider value of the discipline, over 80% of respondents see the qualification as offering more than just technical skills. Proportionately a third of female respondents feel more strongly about this than male survey participants. For a number of years now, the UK has been raising concern about a lack of home grown engineering talent. It is interesting to note that over 83% of those best positioned to comment, feel that Ireland is facing a similar challenge. 64% recognise the threat to Irish organisations of competition for this talent from overseas organisations. Inspiring young people to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at school and promotion of the profession to this age group is seen by engineers as critical to addressing this. Indeed 82% of engineers feel that the value engineers can bring to an organisation also needs to be promoted.
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economic future which of the following factors do you believe, will impact on ireland’s prospects for economic recovery in 2013? high positive impact
some positive impact
no opinion
some negative high negative impact impact
Increased local competition
10.3%
47.3%
26.3%
12.9%
3.2%
Increased global competition
13.5%
28.1%
17.2%
32.8%
8.4%
Pace of technological advancement
25.6%
50.7%
15.9%
6.3%
1.5%
Finance for capital investment
38.9%
23.5%
12.4%
15.8%
9.4%
Resources for effective research
23.8%
38.9%
21.1%
12.1%
4.1%
Availability of the right technical skills
36.9%
37.7%
9.6%
11.7%
4.1%
Global perception of Ireland’s economy
29.5%
36.5%
12.9%
15.5%
5.6%
which of these statements most closely reflects your opinion? Ireland’s economic prospects are positive in 2013 The mergers of third level colleges in Ireland will help to tackle the skills shortage Ireland should shift focus from relying on FDI to creating jobs in indigenous firms A bouyant export sector would be enough to drive Ireland’s economic recovery Ireland’s high VAT rate is damaging to the economy Ireland must keep its current corporation tax rate despite any level of external pressure Ireland’s Presidency of the EU should be used to pressure the ECB for a deal on bank debt Ireland will be able to exit the Troika bailout programme in 2013 A lack of investment by the State in new infrastructure will damage long term prospects
strongly agree
agree
no opinion
disagree
strongly disagree
3.5%
33.7%
26.8%
25.6%
10.4%
5.3%
21.3%
41.5%
24.8%
7.1%
17.3%
36.9%
24.4%
17.5%
3.9%
6.0%
24.2%
21.3%
41.8%
6.7%
13.9%
31.4%
37.7%
15.5%
1.5%
49.7%
33.5%
10.6%
4.7%
1.5%
51.0%
27.7%
14.3%
5.3%
1.7%
3.8%
21.4%
33.3%
29.5%
12.0%
37.0%
39.1%
14.5%
7.7%
1.7%
Again the threat to the economy resulting from any lack of availability of the right technical skills is identified by a significant majority of respondents to this survey. Any advantage to be drawn from the pace of technological advancement may also be jeopardised by this. Increased global competition is regarded as the most significant threat while participants generally see the global perception of Ireland’s economy and how challenges in this area have been addressed as being good for business. Maintaining the current rate of corporation tax, investing in new infrastructure and placing greater emphasis on supporting indigenous firms for job creation are recognised as the most important drivers of economic recovery. 79% of engineers believe that Ireland must not miss the opportunity to use the six month Presidency of the EU to take further steps on addressing the crippling bank debt.
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in summary
Although today HRM Recruit is a multi-functional leadership and specialist recruiter, the original business established over 21 years ago was called HRM Engineering. As the name suggests the firm’s focus back then was purely in the recruitment of engineering talent. While this remains a significant part of our Science and Technology Practice today, much else has changed for engineers. This report highlights the enormous role diversity, that an engineering qualification can provide during or starting out on a career. However, it appears much still needs to be done on promoting this career option and Engineers Ireland are clearly at the forefront in addressing that challenge, along with helping engineers develop many of the skills identified by practising engineers as core to their success. Attracting more women into the profession is essential and that begins by keeping secondary school level girls engaged in STEM subjects, mathematics in particular. Many parents of teenage daughters will understand the challenge this presents. We know that Engineers Ireland also work to address this with the STEPS programme, aimed at primary and secondary school students. It seems both from the survey data and the extensive participant feedback, that income levels are a cause of concern for those working as professional engineers. This may not bode well for employers and indeed the wider economy, given the crucial role engineering skills will play in job creation and economic recovery in Ireland. Particularly in light of the international demand for their talent. Ultimately this is a truly interesting time for the engineering profession. There is significant demand for talent in the Irish market, unemployment rates are comparatively low. While on the one hand specialism can cause career paths to narrow, though this is not a concern for many, on the other a very significant proportion of those with engineering qualifications, whether they stay within the engineering channel or not, end up in senior management.
For more information contact: Graham Morris | Managing Director HRM Recruit (+353 1) 632 1875
[email protected] or Michael O’Leary | Chief Executive HRM Recruit (+353 1) 632 1817
[email protected] e ngi n e e ri ng pe r s p e c t ive s | re p o r t 2 0 1 3
think alike Leadership and Specialist, Permanent and Contract Recruitment in nine functional areas: Engineering, Life Sciences and Information Technology HR, Accountancy, Legal & Compliance Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain p: (+353 1) 632 1800 | e:
[email protected] | www.hrmrecruit.com
Engineers Ireland 22 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 p: (+353 1) 665 1300 e:
[email protected]
HRM Recruit, 47 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2. p: (+353 1) 632 1800 e:
[email protected]
www.hrmrecruit.com
