Universities with good industrial links engineering

[Mountain9]

DC has started looking at universities for engineering; currently in year 12.

We are wondering what are the universities with good industrial links and employability? Also nice, happy, safe atmosphere?

Re Surrey...the MEng was only one extra semester than the BEng, definitely worth it! Vast majority also did the year in industry when I was there, and foreign placements were available too.

Might be worth looking at what work placements are available during the course.

I went To UWE in Bristol but it’s a while ago now. I remember one guy doing his work placement at Williams F1 team. One of the other females went to Rolls Royce in France for a year.

Our robotics lecturer also worked for NASA and the sound recording engineering lecturer had been sound engineer for Kylie Minogue.

It’s maybe just another thing to think about/ask about at an open day.

Before DH went freelance he used to work for a large engineering company, and often interviewed graduates.

He said that he didn't give a stuff about where the graduates achieved their degree. He was more interested in whether they would be the right fit for the company.

The rail link from St Pancras to Loughborough is very good, the train takes about an hour and a quarter. Then you can get a bus from the rail station to campus, certainly during termtime.

Every employer considers fit. Every employer wants to trust the degree and learning though. As employers test extensively, they don’t. Decent employees keep consultancies making money. People who aren’t commercial, need hand holding and have gaps in learning are an issue for companies. Many employers really do care where the degree is from because they need to trust it in the first instance. Obviously lots more to look at, but course followed matters.

Maybe because DH had his own company and wasn’t an employee it mattered more?

Entry requirements are quite different for Scottish vs RUK students as fees paid by Scottish government are significantly less than the amount RUK pay, so there is a big cap on Scottish students which means they need top top grades

I wondered when a PP said the grades weren't onerous for Strathclyde! DS is applying & needs top grades as he's Scottish!

I appreciate everyone’s comments. It has been very helpful.

DC is definitely looking at top Universities with good industrial links, wants a good career with good job prospects and salary, As a mum I want a happy, safe atmosphere as well.

DC had done a bit of research too and like the idea of Sheffield too. Wants an MEng; doesn’t seem keen on going to Scotland; will be different if we live in the North of England. I do not mind a beauty spot; but I guess that’s too much to ask.

We do want to shortlist 5 to go and look at.

@Mountain9 if you are considering safety, perhaps look at campus universities? Obviously it is not a given, but not having to negotiate inner city areas that you don't know well always seemed safer to me!

I do not mind a beauty spot; but I guess that’s too much to ask.

There's good proper countryside easily accessible from Sheffield.

Bath is obviously a beautiful city with nice countryside around. Not sure what student accommodation is like (I've heard of bath students having to travel from Bristol, which itself had issues with students living over the bridge in wales... )

@Mountain9 A well paid job usually means engineers go into finance! Lots of DDs engineering friends have done exactly this. Mostly from top unis! Engineering isn’t overly well paid considering how long it takes to train to be CEng. Doctors make more. Engineers might get nicer working conditions though and shorter hours!

There is competition to get jobs with household name companies but there’s many jobs in smaller companies that might be R&D or consultancies. The key is to make sure DS can get chartered. As quickly as possible. Then more opportunities open up. Plus more money.

Engineering graduates are increasingly dependent on their engineering skill sets to secure well-paying employment. The perfect storm of Brexit, combined with advances in AI, has ensured that graduate programmes in finance are fewer and far between:
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2023-06-reed-jobs-report-graduates-face-worst-market-in-five-years/

It really does make sense to seek out universities with good industrial links when looking at engineering.

@Mountain9 my DS is studying a MEng at Imperial and is really happy. Amazing links with industry and they have weekly events with top firms and recruiters coming.

High fliers recruitment data shows a 30% increase in grad positions for 2023 over 2021. They are not reduced. It’s still got many opportunities.

Of DS friends from Warwick doing Engineering, some did a Masters (including DS) but the majority seem to have got graduate jobs in their area of specialisation although many (including DS) have chosen to work outside the UK.

Graduate recruitment in 2021 was conducted in the depths of the pandemic. Hardly a reliable benchmark.

"Data from Reed Recruitment, one of the UK’s largest employment platforms, shows the number of positions available and marked suitable for graduates is about 40% below 2018 levels, and pay for those posts has declined over much of the last 18 months. While listings are up since the depths of the pandemic, they’ve declined steadily for almost two years."
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2023-06-reed-jobs-report-graduates-face-worst-market-in-five-years/

Definitely consider Sheffield, the AMRC links are fabulous and there's a huge amount of industry investment going on.

High fliers says it’s gone up for engineers. They ask many employers. They are not a recruitment agency. There’s a shortage of engineers. The Reed survey isn’t necessarily reflecting the better employers. Many sectors were not up 30%. Engineering is relatively bouyant. I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom at all. Not sure better employers recruit grads for training via Reed.

I think PP are agreed that there's a shortage of engineers! I don't know if that's all sectors equally but from what I hear, it does apply to electrical and electronics.

There is certainly a shortage of engineers. Engineering graduates are increasingly dependent on their engineering skill sets to secure well-paying employment.

What I am disputing is TizerorFizz assertion that "a well paid job usually means engineers go into finance!" The perfect storm of Brexit, combined with advances in AI, has ensured that graduate programmes in finance and investment banking are fewer and far between:
"Top investment banks plan to reduce graduate recruitment numbers by 10% next year, according to research firm High Fliers"
https://www.fnlondon.com/articles/jpmorgan-goldman-sachs-morgan-stanley-hsbc-citigroup-graduate-recruitment-20230821

Thank you. DC seems keen on Sheffield and we are going to see it on the 18th

Has you son found it too much work? Does he still have time to enjoy life?

I read in another thread that one person said the amount of work was brutal and that even though she was setup for life she was not as rounder as her friends when she finished as she was always studying.

Another one said it was more research and an academia would have preferred to go to Bath.

Maybe is different for each degree?

@Mountain9 Imperial has many onerseas students who won’t do much except work. Their families expect it and it’s cultural. Sheffield is far more fun! Of course imperial grads are going to be high achievers but down the years I’ve met many high achieving Sheffield engineers (own their companies and have made money!) and married one. Having a bit of fun is hard wired in Sheffield.

Thanks. I do want my child to have a life that’s not just work, work, work. They are hard workers but enjoy some fun and relaxing too.

I’ve met many high achieving Sheffield engineers (own their companies and have made money!) and married one.

So did I

@Mountain9 if you are driving I would park in Nunnery Square (next to Sheffield Parkway) and get the tram. Make sure you get the yellow line tram, destination Meadowhall, to get back to the car park.