Full speed ahead

Archive

With major expansion in both the UK’s civil and defence marine sectors, the hunt is on for engineers with a range of specialist skills. Julia Pierce reports.

The UK's marine technology industry is thriving, with both the civil and defence sectors steaming ahead. Turnover in the leisure sector alone was £2.8bn in 2007, according to the

, with manufacturing powering the industry's success.

Growth has also been consistent, at an average rate of 7.8 per cent a year since 1997, driven by construction of new facilities at home and abroad.

'Marine civil business has been, and is likely to continue to be extremely busy,' said Sean Barker, divisional manager of the ports and marine division at consulting and business services group Mouchel. 'It is mainly driven by waterfront developments in the Middle East and a boom in container port projects on the back of trade growth projections,' he said.

'Big oil and gas projects, commissioned because of the demand for energy and rising oil revenues, mean the demand for skilled workers is hugely outstripping supply. This shortage is seen especially at mid-career level, from newly chartered engineers through to those with 10 years' experience. This shortage is not just a UK problem, it is a global one too.'

Register now to continue reading

Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of premium content. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our premium content, as well as the latest technology news, industry opinion and special reports. 

Benefits of registering

  • In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends

  • Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year

  • Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox

Register
Or continue by

Signing in with your registered email address