World Engineering Day Special: Championing your future this #NationalCareersWeek!

Today, March 4th, is World Engineering Day- a date which coincides with this year’s National Careers Week (March 3rd to March 8th)!

It goes without saying that both of these events are pretty near to Omnia’s heart; as the UK’s most trusted engineering consultancy, we believe that it’s our responsibility to inspire the next generation of dynamic engineers with training which prepares them for the transmission and distribution sector of tomorrow.

Of course, engineering is by no means a career for the faint of heart- it requires a lifelong commitment to self-improvement and continuous learning. Engineers understand that their skills require constant maintenance, especially as objectives change; see, for instance, the industry-wide push toward renewable solutions, with the UK becoming the first major economy to introduce net zero targets back in 2019, a pledge towards sustainability which would have been unthinkable even 30 years before. Engineers understand that times change- if you want to stay at the cutting-edge of industry developments and be part of green energy decisions that really make a difference, you have no choice but to change with them.

All of this is to say, then, that making informed choices at the beginning of your engineering career- from what to study at A- or T-Level, to how to decide on your next steps, be that a degree, an apprenticeship, a traineeship, or some variation thereof- is paramount when it comes to preparing you for a lifetime of learning and skills development. “When you’re 16, 17, 18 years old, thinking about the future and setting yourself up with this bank of really secure foundational knowledge isn’t always on people’s radar,” says Isaac Harrison, one of our Omnia Academy trainees. “But learning how to learn, and choosing subjects which prepare you to absorb all the knowledge which you know is going to be thrown your way when you first start studying engineering has made adapting to my traineeship so much easier- that'll be the case wherever you study or whatever you do.”

Isaac joined the Omnia Academy in September 2024, fresh from completing A-Levels in Maths, Physics, and Computer Science. “Of course, there’s nothing you can’t learn if you put your mind to it- at any age- but the A-Levels I chose fitted together quite nicely, and that helped me a lot when it came to starting my HNC in electrical engineering as part of my Omnia traineeship. I think for me, especially, it was a mindset-thing; when you study maths and science-based subjects, it teaches you to look at problems in a certain way- it’s all very rational. So that kind of logic is something which became a stepping-stone to my studies at the Academy, particularly with all the practical, on-site experience I get.”

It’s about more than just what you study, however. Preparing yourself for a career, no matter the industry, is often a question of attitude. “I won’t pretend that it’s not a big jump between school and the traineeship, especially the HNC side of things,” says Isaac, “but getting yourself in the position where you feel confident enough to learn independently is something that you can’t do soon enough- if you’re still at school and want to go into the engineering sector, trying out independent learning techniques and deciding what works for you is key. Maybe that sounds strange, but because most types of higher education are so self-led, it’s the most important thing you can do."

So, what does Isaac himself recommend?

“It’s simple, but doing the work, and doing any outside work you can get your hands on, too. Getting your understanding of key concepts rock solid is crucial. With the HNC, so many of the basics I’ve learnt so far- transformers, breaking and making a circuit, power factor- are things which I’ve also been able to apply to my on-site experience. Of course, having people you can turn to outside of your HNC has been great for putting knowledge into practice."

"I’ve landed on my feet with the Omnia Academy, because I’m constantly surrounded by experts, people in the industry who have years of experience and really want to share that knowhow with me, so that helps. But, preparing to start your career, the best thing you can do is get yourself ready to learn, so when, one day, you’re studying for that HNC, or you’re on-site surrounded by industry experts, you’re already secure in your learning practices and you know which questions to ask.”

Six months in, and Isaac is busy putting his own advice into practice. “National Careers Week is so important for people starting out in engineering. The industry is a whole new language, a whole new way of doing things. I know I’m only at the very beginning of my career, but the road is long, and to have that direction early on really does make a difference. And the fact that World Engineering Day falls within National Careers Week? There’s no better time to talk about it!"

"I’ve landed on my feet with the Omnia Academy, because I’m constantly surrounded by experts, people in the industry who have years of experience and really want to share that knowhow with me, so that helps. But, preparing to start your career, the best thing you can do is get yourself ready to learn, so when, one day, you’re studying for that HNC, or you’re on-site surrounded by industry experts, you’re already secure in your learning practices and you know which questions to ask.”

Isaac Harrison

Omnia Academy Trainee