Opportunities in engineering consultancies

Consulting engineers are hoping the UK market is about to emerge from a period in the doldrums, after the sector was hit by the economic crisis.

After two flat years, Association for Consultancy and Engineering chief executive Nelson Ogunshakin believes that there are a number of signs of impending improvement. Notably, the National Infrastructure Plan announced by George Osborne last autumn is helping to restore confidence by providing a strategic framework of infrastructure projects the government considers critical over the next 20 years. ‘The challenge is how quickly can we unpack the National Infrastructure Plan, and will the finance be available to make those projects viable?’ Ogunshakin said.

Consulting engineers range in size from small specialist firms to multinational organisations. The larger companies carry out work across a wide spectrum of enginee

ring disciplines.

Atkins, the largest UK engineering consultant, is perhaps the foremost example, with activities ranging from acting as engineering designer for the 2012 Olympic Park, to operating and maintaining 24,000km of UK highways.