TOP THREE TRENDS IN ENGINEERING FOR GRADUATES TO KNOW TOP THREE TRENDS IN ENGINEERING FOR GRADUATES TO KNOW

The pressure’s on for the industry to embrace the digital transformation and keep up with market demands.

In recent years, the engineering industry has gone through exciting changes and seen ground-breaking developments, such as the rise of automation and the application of intelligent machines.

These developments, combined with Singapore’s plan to transform itself into a Smart Nation, have led to a strong demand for a future-ready engineering workforce and people who are well-versed in new and advanced technology tools that can bring business value.

Keeping up with what’s trending in the industry will not only provide graduates with an idea of the job opportunities that these advances have opened up, but also awareness of the skills needed for them to be more employable.

Here are three significant industrial trends graduates should take note of – and impress engineering recruiters with!

Trend #1: Automation and robotics

The rise of automation and robotics may not be a new trend, but they’re still revolutionising the engineering sector. Robots and machines are displacing workers, dominating workplaces and becoming the true backbone of many organisations while humans manage them on the sidelines.

A notable example of a company that has integrated automation and robotics into their operations is SIA Engineering. The corporation deploys air tugs that allow ground crew to move an aircraft backwards wirelessly, as well as air casters to float heavy objects off the ground. Such devices help ensure that staff welfare is protected, and employees no longer have to perform such strenuous and manual tasks.

Moreover, the use of automated machines and robots are key for fastgrowing industries to manufacture products in high quality and quantity in the shortest possible time. This is important for industry stakeholders, as automating labour-intensive processes also leads to significant cuts in manpower costs.

What this means for graduates

Engineers with technical skills and knowledge in manufacturing technologies and programming are highly sought-after. Employers are looking for engineers to design, install, programme, operate and maintain machines and robots used in their operations.

Aside from technical skills, recruiters also seek engineers who are investigative and possess problem-solving abilities. To showcase these traits to prospective employers during the job application process, graduates can read widely about the issues stakeholders in the field face, and explain how they can contribute to the firm’s efforts to solve the problems.

Employers also value applicants who possess foresight, as well as the ability to look at the bigger picture of how minute details can affect larger processes. These qualities often indicate a candidate’s potential to continually innovate and come up with new applications of technology to solve problems.

Trend #2: The Industrial Internet of Things

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a branch of a larger technological development known as the Internet of Things (IoT), which refers to connecting devices to the Internet and to each other.

This tech application has paved the way for “smart” processes, where intelligent devices with independent learning capabilities are able to communicate the collected data to one another within an integrated system. Imagine a world where your smart fridge is able to order groceries for you because it detected that your fresh milk has gone bad! This is one way in which IoT can be used in a consumer setting.

IIoT, on the other hand, is the application of IoT technologies in the industrial world, where more is at stake, and a single error can lead to high revenue loss.

For instance, a company dealing with the shipping of temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical drugs can benefit from this technology by using real-time data to read the exact conditions the drugs are exposed to.

This allows the organisation to keep track of whether the goods are exposed to very high or low temperatures. This way, if anything were to happen to the products, they can be notified as soon as possible as opposed to only when they arrive at their destination, saving the firm from potentially losing thousands of dollars’ worth of shipment.

What this means for graduates

The introduction of IoT technology in the manufacturing sector has blurred the line between IT and engineering. Graduate engineers seeking employment in the manufacturing industry now need the necessary IT-related skills to remain competitive in the job market.

Following the growing significance of data and automation in the engineering scene, recruiters now highly value technical skills, such as the ability to build machinelearning algorithms, as well as knowledge of AutoCAD, a design software for engineering applications, big data analytics and management skills.

In terms of soft skills, employers seek applicants who are innovative and collaborative, and graduates able to transform ideas into precise or feasible solutions will attract recruiters from different industries. Enterprises also value candidates who are collaborative, not only in humanto-human relations, but human-to-machine interactions as well.

Trend #3: Sustainable engineering

Sustainable engineering attempts to bridge social science with civic engineering and environmental science, and meld it with the technology of the future.

For example, in Singapore, water scarcity is a real challenge. With the nation’s heavy dependence on imported water, occasional political issues between the city-state and Malaysia’s governments more often than not result in veiled threats of the latter cutting off the former’s water supply.

Understanding that this wasn’t a sustainable water solution, the government commissioned the construction of a superhighway that collects every drop of used water for treatment and reuse. NEWater is the product of this deep tunnel sewerage system, and, as of 2020, there are five NEWater plants supplying up to 40 per cent of Singapore’s current water needs, with the fourth desalination plant opened in February 2021.

More can still be done in order to encourage sustainability and selfsufficiency, though, and this is where engineers can make a difference. With energy efficiency a particularly pressing concern in the region due to expanding economies and growing populations, the Singapore government is also targeting a 35 per cent improvement in the area, as well as reductions in carbon emissions from 2005 levels by 2030.

In other words, there’s simply no shortage of roles for graduate engineers today.

What this means for graduates

Given how sustainability is a key consideration for most, if not all, engineering companies, employers do expect graduates to have an understanding of industrial regulations and ethical codes.

In addition, do your own reading and research to understand other technologies and sustainability initiatives other companies and countries have introduced. Find out how you can use these existing solutions and tailor them accordingly to add value to the company that you are either working with, or want to work for.

You should also be commercially aware that the economic feasibility of engineering processes plays a big role in the overall picture of sustainability as well. Take the initiative to attend networking events or employer talks to get insider insights and opinions on sustainability issues industry players face, and be ready to make sustainability the key objective in your job.

If saving the environment’s your calling, this is the engineering focus for you!