4 reasons you should consider a career in

transport engineering
When was the last time you took a train, or drove anywhere?

We rely on good transport links to do everything from the daily commute to the
weekly shop, and, whether or not we’re aware of it, we also depend on a team of
expert transport engineers and planners to keep us connected. These engineers are
responsible for fixing our bridges, building new links between our towns and cities,
and helping us travel smarter: they are the unsung heroes of the engineering sector.

Walking the line between town planning, civil engineering and even architecture,
working in transport makes for an exciting career. With demand for new engineers
rising all the time, and hundreds of new projects on the horizon, it’s also a sector that
needs fresh talent to help build the future. It’s therefore the perfect time to get
involved in a job that will let you have a real impact on other people’s lives.

Here’s why transport engineering should be your next career move.

It’s always in demand

The engineering sector is extremely profitable, and it’s also growing. Engineering
projects generate 23% of the UK’s total turnover, whilst 27% of companies in the UK
are engineering-related. That’s a lot of business, and yet there’s also a shortage of
candidates with the right engineering skills around the country.

There’s a reason for this heightened demand: in addition to upgrading the

UK’s ageing infrastructure, many of the biggest upcoming engineering projects in the
UK require transport engineers, such as HS2, or the Cambridge to Huntingdon
Improvement Scheme. Aiming to upgrade 21 miles of the A14 and construct new
road networks and bridges within the area, to a cost of £1.5bn, this Improvement
Scheme is a massive project that is certainly having a knock-on effect in the job
market. Indeed, the demand for transport engineers is expected to increase by
20% in the next decade, making now the perfect time to make the most of these new
opportunities.

It’s challenging

There’s no such thing as a stereotypical ‘transport engineer’. This sector actually

contains a huge range of different jobs, all of which will let you test yourself and
develop your skills in new environments. You can be a transport planner, working to
improve and manage transport systems around the UK, or you can collaborate with
local councils to design new transport facilities for schools, railways and more.

Regardless of what you choose to do, it’s a challenging job. A large part of your
responsibilities as a transport engineer will revolve around problem solving: can you
find the right way to improve the roads around a certain town, in a way that complies
with environmental regulations and improves the quality of life for the people using
it? You’ll be combining your analytical mind with your knowledge of town planning
and engineering to create unique solutions that will help other people, often juggling
multiple projects at the same time.

It’s cutting edge

When it comes to new technologies, there’s no more exciting place to be than

transport engineering. One of the biggest pieces of software to impact the industry
so far is Building Information Modelling,or BIM. This intelligent modelling process
allows analysts to create intelligent, accurate, to-scale 3D renderings of new
designs, online. They can be designed to incorporate stress points, plumbing and
electricity systems, and even measure how extreme temperatures will affect the
materials used. With 70% of engineers having already adopted it within the
workplace, it’s clearly a valuable digital tool in a sector that is always looking for
ways to optimise performance and maximise efficiency.

However, it’s not just the construction process that is undergoing somewhat of a
revolution. The ongoing trend towards greater connectivity, culminating in the
‘Internet of Things’, points to a future with ‘smart’ roads that can alert local councils
to potholes, thinning tarmac or even generate electricity using solar panels
embedded into surfaces. Driverless cars are also on the horizon: the UK government
wants to bring them into commercial use by 2021, and with the industry estimated to
be worth £28bn by 2035, this enthusiastic embrace of the future is bound to have an
effect on the role of the transport engineer. Indeed, city roads- and even our
transport network- will likely have to be drastically reworked to suit this new,
algorithm-driven method of travel, especially as some are speculating that they may
be better suited to freight transport than inner-city travel.

With so much happening within transport, the sector remains full of possibilities for
the future. For anybody wanting to make a start in engineering, there’s no more
exciting place to be.

It’s varied

Transport engineering is a dynamic and exciting place to work, whatever your

interests are. Whether you enjoy problem solving or directing operations from the
ground as an engineering contractor, there are plenty of career paths for you to
pursue. If you want to make sure that new developments are carried out in a
sustainable way, working as an Environmental Planner might be perfect for you;
alternatively, if you’d prefer to work on the future of travel, become an Airport
Engineer.

There are also plenty of opportunities to work your way up the career ladder. As a
transport planner, for instance, you can complete a professional qualification from
the Transport Planning Society or the Chartered Institute of Logistics and
Transport and become a project manager or leader; still others choose
to specialise in more software-oriented roles such transport modelling and become
experts in their field. Whatever you want to do, transport engineering has the right
role for you.

Start on the path to success with Atkins Global

Transport engineering is growing, and we want you to be a part of it. Find out more
about what it means to work at one of the biggest and most dynamic engineering
consultancies in the world at #InsideAtkins, and take the first step on your career
journey with us by searching our vacancies in Transport Engineering.