With boarded up shop fronts commonplace and foreboding news of job cuts hitting headlines daily, it may feel like a tough time to take those first steps from education to career. However, those with engineering and IT skills are in a more advantageous position than many fellow graduates. Talk is turning to how we can ‘engineer’ ourselves out of this recession, to the extent that many people who used their industry qualifications to move into different sectors such as analysis and finance are making the wise move to return to the fold.

Looking back, the industry lost many a good engineer to City careers where they could use their mathematical skills to earn huge wages in the finance sector. Attractive for its high salaries and good bonuses, it was a sexy, enticing option. Plus with top firms actively looking out for intelligent graduates with those skills, it wasn’t hard to be lured away from their roots.

But clearly this ‘golden age’ is over, and those jobs are no longer an option. Redundancies are rife, firms clearly aren’t recruiting and longer term, and it’ll be a while before there’s much scope for new careers there. However a new opportunity has replaced this, both for upcoming graduates and those who were mesmerised by the bright lights and fat pay cheques. They can make the most of their training to help both themselves and the economy by focusing on an engineering career, as, surprisingly for some, the recession actually gives the sector more drive and purpose. The engineer will become the economy’s superhero.

Every industry has its concerns, and our sector wont come out unscathed either, however we have something on our side - innovation. Many may think that a recession could lead to the death of innovation as any activities that cant be seen to deliver an immediate return on investment are likely to have budgets hacked back. However, it’s quite the opposite, as companies have to really stretch their resources in order to make the most of what they have, and find new and more effective means of driving business forward. This makes a good breeding ground for innovation and it will in turn create further opportunities, future jobs and, over time, help turn the economy around.

“As the saying goes - necessity is the mother of invention,” says David Pratt, co-founder and coo of IT solutions provider ThinkGrid, “and in addition to that, invention - or innovation in this case - is a necessity. Never is this truer than during a time of economic uncertainty. History has shown how innovators can truly make a difference by being forced to resolve the really big problems that face individuals, organisations and societies,” he highlights.

But soon-to-be graduates may be concerned that they’ll have even more competition with those returning to the sector from stints in finance. However, worry not. They wont simply be able to just come and ‘steal’ your jobs, they’ll have to re-train.

“Its not a quick fix. If someone has been in the City for a few years they would need to retrain in order to become useful,” says Dame Wendy Hall, a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE).  “They’re not going to just walk into an engineering company and say ‘Hey, I know all about running banks, and I’ve got an engineering degree’. There has to be an element of retraining.”

But when educated in your specialist fields, there are roles suited to both returning and new engineers.

“I think that as we find our feet in this crisis, people will start thinking about new ideas for businesses,” says Dame Hall. “That’s where someone who has got a science and engineering background who spent some time with an investment bank could help a (sector) start-up company find their way through the investment maze.

“For new graduates, really think about how best you want to use your science and engineering skills to help the country get back on its feet, to (use your skills to innovate or) create new companies. Entrepreneurship is going to be important,” she continues. “Science and engineering are the necessary requirements for any innovation. We need to engineer our way out of this recession, get people thinking of new products. Manufacturing will re-emerge and, I believe, the ICT sector will remain strong throughout because it drives so much. We need to let those ideas flourish.”

Engineers and technicians are going to find themselves in demand, and although it’s always been a good career option, in the current climate these skillsets are becoming even more sought after. You are the ones who can make a difference. No longer is engineering dull, dirty work with average pay and rewards; it’s an exciting world to be in. Many foresee a future where engineers, not money magnates, are the ones getting paid the big bucks. At the front of cutting-edge technology, you may even be seen as economic saviours. With that in mind, how could you ever want to choose anything other than a career in this sector!