fastest growing segments of engineering 1

[purdue87]

how does one find the fastest growing segments worldwide? does the ENR track this?

oil & gas?
power & water?
etc.....

i am looking to dig up some good useful data. any USEFUL thoughts are welcome
thanks.
scott.

Thanks,
Scott

 

[cranky108]

Power plants seem to be the black eye of the power industry. The drawings seem to have never had as built updates, rarely updated, and in some cases lost in a house cleaning measure.

Sadly when the accountants, or other non-techinical people try to make thing more efficent, they start by tossing out the old stuff.

Good drawings start with good as built drawings, and they must be kept up to date.

When a technication complains about the quality of the drawings, I point to a mirror and say he has the power to fix it.

 

[mauricestoker]

After 25 years, I'd say the fastest growing segment is the waistline.

 

[knight185]

My company does a pretty good job with updating electrical and controls drawings. Finding certain structural drawings can be a challenge but not always. Most of the necessary drawings are online.

The main challenge I deal with is tooling for maintenance mechanics. Every time new tooling is bought it vanishes after the project is over.

 

[cranky108]

Have you tried painting your tools? Pink is a color that should make them less likely to walk.

Actually power engineering isen't growing that much, as it seems to be retiring.
But there is some growth with alternate energy, and load growth. However some of that has slowed a bit.

 

[knight185]

I don't control the tools. As an engineer I will buy tools for my outage projects but then maintenance takes them away after that. And since the maintenance manager doesn't want to properly manage the tools, people are free to take them and hide them. Some people lock them in their personal tool carts. And other tools find their way to peoples' houses.

 

[purdue87]

i think we'll find that environmental is going to be the fastest growing segment worldwide....

Thanks,
Scott

 

[ScottyUK]

Actually power engineering isen't growing that much, as it seems to be retiring.

Interesting comment. In terms of installed base it's probably shrinking over here as the UK de-industrialises, but in terms of recruitment it is resurgent as it struggles to replace the retirees.


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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!

 

[cranky108]

If you buy the tools, then why can't you specify the color?

Like at the convience store, they tape plastic spoons on the ink pens, so people won't take them.

Personally I think the fastest growing field of engineering traffic engineering. There seem to be more cars on the road each day.

 

[knight185]

It would not matter anyway. Plant management does not support any control system for the storage and dispensing of the tools. The tool room is now always unlocked and no one is there to man it. I bought some of my own storage bins for my upcoming project (turbine outage) but once the project is over the maintenance foreman and mechanics will simply take those bins and take all of the tools out. As a member of the technical staff, I have no direct control of the tools.

 

[Rickyherb]

From what I can see, Environmental- (due to global warming), Alternative Energy/Biofuels (as Oil prices race to $100/ barrel again ), Power/Utility (to redesign power grids and integrate alternative sources) and for the Oil folks-Offshore Petroleum engineering services (to mine oil from the miles deep into the sea). Those in these fields can diversify, but when you have all your experience in High tech-semi conductor industry that is sailing off to the Asia, despite using the same instrumentation like other fields, no recruiter really wants to look at you or pass you onto another employer to diversify your skill set. For the Oil folks- question, I hear this industry is a boom and bust type, is this true, do they hire and fire as a function of the price of oil?

 

[RoyTyrell]

"For the Oil folks- question, I hear this industry is a boom and bust type, is this true, do they hire and fire as a function of the price of oil?"

I relatively new to the industry, but it's pretty savage - mass layoffs and even recent attempts at outsourcing design are the norm. I've even seen recent ads offering "part-time" engineering positions - explicitely no benefits, with major "reputable" EPC's.

My advice is don't even go near this industry without a P.E. or you will be stuck professionally and they will take full advantage - and you *will* be out on your rear-end as soon as profits are in jeopardy.

For "part-time" spots, offer to work under non-exclusive contract - must have a P.E. though.