What is it?

Engineering is a huge sector including specialisms such as

• Aerospace/aeronautical engineering
• Automotive/motorsports engineering
• Electrical/electronics engineering
• Marine engineering

Facts and figures

• 80% of the 10,533 businesses in the south east of England are micro employers, employing between 1 and 10 people whereas only 6% are large employers with more than 200 employees 
• the biggest proportion (36%) of businesses in the south east produce metal products and the next largest (22%) is the electronics sector
• the electronics sector is predicted to grow by 7% a year with automotive electronics leading the growth. Demand for new consumer products and power electronics will also grow
• just over 90% of automotive employment is in England with the greatest concentration in the West Midlands, North West and East of England. UK automotive employment is expected to fall to 164,000 in 2010 from 197,000 in 2004
• in terms of size, the UK aerospace industry is second in the world after USA with the main concentration of workplaces in the South East, South West and East of England. Maintenance, repair and overhaul companies tend to be close to the larger airports such as Gatwick
• the South East holds over a quarter of all ship building and ship repair firms which tend to be around Portsmouth and Southampton
  

source: ABI 2006/SEMTA

Employers in Sussex

Aviation and aerospace employers tend to be near airports such as Gatwick and Shoreham. There are some ship repair firms at the marinas along the coastal strip in Sussex such as Brighton, Shoreham and Littlehampton. The port of Newhaven is also a hub for employers. Motorsports employers are represented in and around Goodwood. Electronics employers tend to be small and can be found in business parks such as in Crawley and Uckfield.

Higher education qualifications suitable for the sector

• foundation degrees / HNCs / HNDs such as Electrical and Electronic Engineering or just plain Engineering
• undergraduate degrees such as BEng / MEng Aeronautical Engineering, BEng / MEng Automotive Engineering, BEng / MEng Digital Electronics, Computing and Communications, MEng / BEng Mechanical Engineering
• postgraduate degrees such as MSc Advanced Mechanical Engineering, MSc Aerospace Technology, MSc Automotive Engineering, MSc Satellite Communications and Space Systems

Here we are focusing on higher education but there are many other qualifications and routes to study available including NVQs, Apprenticeships and BTEC awards. Talk to your local college or private training provider about what's available.

Where to study in Sussex

• University of Brighton
• University of Sussex
• Open University
• Central Sussex College
• City College Brighton & Hove
• Hastings College of Arts & Technology
• Northbrook College Sussex

Courses differ from place to place... institutions normally develop and teach their own courses so the content and focus of each course can be very different. It pays to shop around!

Can't find what you're looking for? Want to comment on our website? Email us

Ask an expert