Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer

Introduction There are a wide range of careers available in engineering construction. Many are supported by tailored apprenticeship programmes. These aim to develop the skills and attributes of young people to enable them to have successful careers in a dynamic industry. Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer

Objectives To consider some of the skills necessary to be successful in work To select skills and attributes according to changing job requirements To suggest how skill sets may be developed over a career to respond to the changing demands of work Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer

Starter Working in pairs sort the skills and personal characteristics cards in a rough column. The ones you think are qualities you have should be furthest away and the cards you feel are skills and abilities you don’t have, closer to you. Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer

Starter Which are the skills and abilities you already have? Give examples from your school/ home life. Which are the most common cards in the top 3 for the whole class? Do a tally. Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer

What it takes to be an engineer Look at the cards again; they feature some of the characteristics that could help make a great engineer. Choose six that you all agree would be necessary characteristics to have if you were to become an engineer. Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer 4

What it takes to be an engineer Look at the cards again; they feature some of the characteristics that could help make a great engineer. Choose six that you all agree would be necessary characteristics to have if you were to become an engineer. Explain your choices. Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer 4

Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer CHANGE OF PLAN 1: We need a design and draughting apprentice to create plans fo a new wind farm: Choose six again but to fit the new specific job role.

Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer CHANGE OF PLAN 1: We need a design and draughting apprentice to create plans fo a new wind farm: Choose six again but to fit the new specific job role. Which cards did you change and why?

CHANGE OF PLAN 2: We need a lab-based non-destructive testing apprentice to make sure everything we produce, from materials to machines to buildings, is safe today and in the future: Choose six again but to fit the new job role. Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer

CHANGE OF PLAN 2: We need a lab-based non-destructive testing apprentice to make sure everything we produce, from materials to machines to buildings, is safe today and in the future: Choose six again but to fit the new job role. Which cards did you change and why? Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer

CHANGE OF PLAN 3: We need an offshore instrumentation and control maintenance technician to make checks on gas flow, level pressures and temperature while drilling occurs on oil rigs: Choose six again but to fit the new job role. Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer

CHANGE OF PLAN 3: We need an offshore instrumentation and control maintenance technician to make checks on gas flow, level pressures and temperature while drilling occurs on oil rigs: Choose six again but to fit the new job role. Which cards did you change and why? Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer

Why did you need to change the characteristics from your general engineering choices for the three different roles? These three different scenarios represent only three of the 13 job-specific apprenticeship schemes offered by ECITB. What does that tell you about the range of skills needed by the engineering construction industry and the opportunities available to you? Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer

Let’s hear what one apprentice engineer has to say about her job. Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer Click to play

Apply the skills and abilities you have just discussed to the overview of requirements for the jobs shown in the video. Which skills/attributes had you anticipated? Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer

Apply the skills and abilities you have just discussed to the overview of requirements for the jobs shown in the video. Which skills/attributes had you anticipated? Which of the skills/attributes that you identified as already having yourself at the start of the lesson can you see as being relevant to the engineering construction industry? Lesson 4: What it takes to be an engineer