What skills do you need to be a building controls engineer?

With 2018 being the official Year of Engineering, it got me pondering over what makes a great engineer. For those of us who already have engineering experience under our belts, it’s probably something we don’t reflect on all too often…

However, if we wish to attract more talent into the world of engineering and building controls, it is worthwhile identifying the key skills to look out for in the next crop of budding engineers…

 For those of you who aren’t aware, the Year of Engineering is a national government campaign which aims to celebrate the wonders of engineering, tackle the major skills gap and inspire the next engineers of tomorrow.

Those particular themes are close to my heart and as President of the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA), I feel it’s important that we all play our part in ensuring the building controls industry goes from strength to strength. I am delighted to tell you that the BCIA is a proud supporter of this fantastic campaign.

So what skills form the perfect engineer? From a personal point of view, it is someone who is always willing to learn, technically curious, thinks logically, enjoys problem solving and can think clearly, even when under pressure.

These skills coupled with good communication, patience and the ability to do the right thing even on a ‘bad day when no one is looking’, change a ‘good engineer’ into a ‘great engineer.’

What’s more, youngsters with a passion for maths and science are often well-suited to a job in engineering, as is someone who is able to think on their feet and quickly adapt to whatever situation they are presented with.

There is a lot of talented people out there who possess many of these skills but may not even know that they are highly suited to a role in engineering. This is why the Year of Engineering campaign is so crucial in capturing the interests of those who may be undecided on what career path to follow or what type of job they could achieve their potentialin.

A message that I like to re-inforce is that one of the best things about being an engineer is that you never stop learning and there is always a new problem to solve. Thanks to advancing and sophisticated technology, there are continuous changes in the dynamic building controls sector.  Therefore, it’s a career that will provide constant opportunities for development for a building controls engineer.

So, for those who have a burning desire to go on a fulfilling and educational journey, engineering is an ideal career route for achieving just that. So, let’s share this vision and attract the best problem solvers and enquiring minds to take a leap of faith into the fascinating and innovative world of engineering…

Find out more about the Year of Engineering here:
Link: https://www.yearofengineering.gov.uk