Careers in technology have been less popular with school and college leavers in recent years. This is surprising: employment and career opportunities are excellent; technology now takes in a wide range of interests and skills; higher education courses are exciting and rewarding. So why should you think of studying technology?

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One of the big concerns facing industry is the age profile of its workforce. Where is the next generation of highly skilled technicians and technologists? In traditional industries, such as construction, private and public planning initiatives are creating huge opportunities; the Government’s Transport Plan requires billions of pounds in investment to fund projects over the next 10 years. Inner city regeneration and brownfield site development are creating desperate skills shortages, both in the short and long term. Even in the newer technologies, such as the internet industries, demand will outstrip supply. Although by 2003 the UK is predicted to be the biggest employer in Europe, there will still be around 80,000 unfilled vacancies.

News headlines don’t tell the full story. For example, we might hear of plant closures and redundancies in the textile industry. Yet the textiles and clothing sector is still a major employer; in the north-west alone 60,000 workers are employed by over 1700 companies. Small- and medium-sized enterprises have replaced the large manufacturers, and the UK leads the world in the production of technical textiles and high performance textile products – including ‘intelligent’ clothing, ‘smart’ woundcare dressings and geotextiles (the fabrics that roofed the Dome!).

Computing and design

Computers have revolutionised working methods across the spectrum of technology and design. Computer-Aided Engineering investigates how computer simulations on products and processes can save both time and money, and help enhance quality. Product design and development provides an outlet for creative talent. In the newer computing technologies, the dotcom revolution has established an urgent need for people with flair and imagination to develop websites and integrated network systems. The multi-media technologist who can combine creativity with computing expertise is now in great demand.

Courses

To prepare students for careers in technology, higher education has developed a whole new series of flexible programmes. Students in further education are encouraged to study a broad range of courses, coupled with some degree of specialism. If the university or HE institute then requires any specific knowledge base (for example a certain level of mathematical or scientific ability) balancing and foundation studies can often bridge the gap. Most programmes are modular, enabling students to build credits towards their final award. These days HE providers place less emphasis on final examinations, instead using a range of assessment methods.

Technology courses have a strong practical bias. Students develop key skills alongside specific subject expertise. Industry continues to play a key role in shaping courses, in some cases helping to deliver them. Placement periods and work-based learning are more and more important, as students take up the ‘earn and learn’ opportunities these offer.

We hear much these days about the ‘knowledge-based’ economy, built on innovation, creativity and professional expertise. Businesses working with new technology are at the heart of this. Technologists can and do pick up business skills; business graduates, on the other hand, can’t easily develop technological knowledge. A technology degree is one way of making yourself invaluable!

Mike Lomas is Joint Dean of the Faculty of Technology, Bolton Institute

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