Engineering – passport to the world

This Issue This is a part of the Industry roles feature

By - , Build 102

Engineering as a whole is vital to the development and maintenance of New Zealand’s infrastructure. Attracting more young people into the industry is crucial.

Engineers are essential to the building industry. Whether they are surveying a proposed site, choosing the appropriate materials or deciding how best to dispose of wastewater, they are closely involved with every stage of the process.

Engineering can take many forms. A quick visit to the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand’s (IPENZ) Futureintech website shows 123 options for engineering courses in New Zealand. These run the gamut from biomedical to software engineers. Those that have most relevance to building are structural, civil, environmental and building services engineers.

Structural engineers

Structural engineers are perhaps the most clearly linked to the building industry. Structural engineers could be designing skyscrapers, bridges, dams or sports stadiums. At both the design and construction levels they are responsible for making sure that the structure is built to fulfil its purpose, with care and attention to safety, budget and appearance. On a day-to-day basis, the job combines site visits, communication with clients, computer modelling of structures and calculations. Structural engineers work closely with architects, contractors, quantity surveyors and regulators. They also consult other specialist engineers for advice.

Civil engineers

Civil engineering is the broadest of engineering disciplines. It involves a dynamic mix of indoor and outdoor work, and provides the opportunity to work on hugely diverse projects. Graduates frequently find employment in construction, designing anything from roads to buildings.

Environmental engineers

Environmental engineers interact with the building industry through the design, repair and construction of water and sewage treatment plants, landfills, stormwater and river control works. They determine how to limit the air pollution caused by factories and dictate how hazardous substances should be disposed of. The work can range from the development of basic local infrastructure to being on the front line after incidents like the 2004 tsunami.

Building services engineers

Building services engineers in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning areas of the building industry contribute to maintaining the internal environment and comfort of building occupants. Major sustainability and energy efficiency issues are now vital in a building’s design. New standards are developing international importance and must be met, such as the Green Star rating systems.

Refrigeration engineers

Refrigeration engineers work in diverse fields from domestic or commercial heat pumps through to the cold chains that support the export of New Zealand meat, dairy and horticultural products. The NZ Institute of

Refrigeration, Heating and Air Conditioning Engineers represents engineers in the sector at all levels. It has been instrumental in leadership for the recovery of ozone-depleting CFC and HCFC substances and the development of a no-loss campaign to ensure minimal release of refrigerants to the atmosphere, in an effort to minimise climate change.

Opportunities worldwide

New Zealand trained engineers are well qualified for employment opportunities all around the world. Recent graduates often cited this as one of the main benefits of their choice of career. Others mentioned the huge range of work that was available within their field. The positive mix between inside and outside work and the practical rather than theoretical nature of their jobs also rated highly.

Registration through IPENZ

IPENZ represents engineers from across all engineering disciplines in New Zealand. IPENZ is also established as the Registration Authority under the Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Act 2002. In addition to the Chartered Professional Engineers register for professional engineers, IPENZ has recently opened current competence registers for engineering technologists (Engineering Technology Practitioners register) and eng-ineering technicians (Certified Engineering Technicians register). Each register is underpinned by an internationally benchmarked competence standard, code of ethics and complaints and disciplinary processes.

For more

Information on possible technology, engineering and science careers, and for profiles of those already pursuing them is available from www.futureintech.com.

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