4 Trends to Watch in the Engineering Industry

Engineers are the backbone of progress. They develop the products, machinery, and electronics that we use every single day, making the engineering industry a crucial part of our society. This makes it particularly important for engineers to stay up-to-date on what’s hot and what’s not, as the engineering industry has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years.

If you’re interested in staying on top of emerging trends in engineering, keep reading. Here are five trends to watch in the engineering industry, and how you can find the best opportunities within them:

1. Senior Management-Level Positions are Opening Up

It’s a trend across every industry, but engineering in particular is going to see a mass movement of empty positions as many of the top position-holders head for retirement. Across the world, the engineering industry is heading into a talent shortage crisis, as nearly 25 percent of engineering senior management positions are held by staff aged 55 plus.

While this may present a challenge in the near future for businesses that have to rush to recruit fresh young talent, it’s great news for the candidates who are looking to make progress toward the top of the food chain. Many industries face stagnation and frustration when it comes to upward momentum in management-level positions, but the engineering industry will soon see the need for new talent at the top of the corporate hierarchy.

2. Unemployment is Nearly at Zero—Making Recruitment a Challenge

According to recent surveys, engineers are in the top ten jobs that are most in-demand across all industries. In fact, reports state that there are 17 job openings for every electrical engineering candidate on the market. With these kinds of numbers, it’s no surprise that the unemployment rate in engineering is nearly at zero. While this certainly presents great news for engineers looking for new positions, it can be a bit ominous for employers looking to recruit in these areas.

This has resulted in one of the greatest trends in the industry—and that’s to evolve engineering recruitment strategies. Employers are scrambling to update their recruitment strategies as the low unemployment rate creates a skills shortage, making for more elusive candidates and a tricky hiring process. Engineers are in-demand, and businesses are struggling to keep up with their empty positions.

3. Electrical Engineers Are on Top

The strong engineering job market reflects the current growth and driving innovation in the engineering industry overall, but electrical engineering and other associated positions have become the biggest area of opportunity on the market today. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to employers, as electronics and power-related subdivisions are experiencing growth in every area of the business world. With the average salary of an electrical engineer being nearly $70,000 per year in Canada, it’s safe to say that this profession is great area to be working in for the coming years.

4. Robotics Are on the Rise

While just a few years ago, a feasible career in robotics may have been just a pipedream for many budding engineers, the fast-paced nature of technology means that this fascinating profession is quickly becoming an in-demand reality in the market today. This job requires creative thinking, technical aptitude, and a driving curiosity—making it a hard position to fill, but the growing popularity of robotics in every discipline will lead to the recruitment of talented engineers on a much more regular basis in the coming years.

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