Engineers can learn a huge amount from a former engineer who now works to support clients in workforce management.<br><br>
Here, we discuss the skills that engineers need and how the industry is changing with Jacco Klerk, vice-president of global client solutions at Randstad and former aircraft maintenance engineer.<br><br><h3>Can you explain your background in engineering, and later at Randstad?</h3>
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I have degrees in engineering in industrial management and aircraft engineering, and I’m a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer. When I was young, I was always fascinated by aerospace and aviation, particularly with space because when I was around 12, the Space Shuttle made its maiden flight and that really triggered me.<br><br>
I entered the engineering industry in 1989, nearly 30 years ago. I really enjoyed my time in planning production and program management in the aircraft maintenance and engineering environment. There, I led teams and we succeeded in changing the goalposts in expectations in optimisation in the maintenance and operations globally.<br><br>
Then I moved more into aerospace OEM and technology companies, becoming more involved with the workforce in planning, in outsourcing Statement of Work (SoW) and cross-border solutions. Today I work in global talent management, human capital management and the application of HR technology.<br><br><h3>What does your average day look like?</h3>
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No day for me is the same. I work with heads of blue chip global clients, because these days they all need to fill a huge variety of engineering jobs. This provides us with great opportunities to be creative and provide reliable solutions in a fast-paced environment. I find it very exciting.<br><br><h3>What do you think are the most likely engineering fields to see expansion in the current and future job markets?</h3>
<p>With rapid technology and connectivity developments, the demand will be very high across the board for many disciplines. I can see the top five in-demand jobs coming from the following fields:<br><br>Software engineering - ranging from IT to embedded systems<br></p>
<p>Transportation engineering - that covers a wide range from automotive and trains to aerospace, both in development and optimisation because there’s still much to gain.<br></p>
<p>Civil engineering - from development to new infrastructures</p>
<p>Environmental engineering - there are huge amounts to do in terms of population to recycling and energy solutions</p>
<p>Biomedical engineering - from addressing an ageing population to applying new medical technologies. </p>
<h3>Do engineers need to have skills historically seen as unrelated to their specific discipline? For example, do mechanical engineers now need to have IT skills?</h3>
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I think that’s a very important question because organisations are going through a massive change. Engineering companies have historically been seen as a bit ‘stuffy’ but they are positioning themselves at the centre of everything. What is very important is that engineers need to be able to manage cross-technology skills. For example, mechanical systems need to have electronic skills and biomedical and environmental engineers need to have new technology skills.<br><br>
On the non-productive side, engineers need to gain more because nothing works in isolation anymore. So their soft skills will become as important in that regard. As engineers will work increasingly in a collaborative way, they will need effective communication skills - they need to be very clear and concise.<br><br><h3>What do you think the future will bring for engineers?</h3>
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I think overall, there’s a very bright future for engineers, and it’s not only because of new technologies, and different ways of working. I think the most exciting thing is the change within engineering organizations to become much more attractive employees to attract talents. I think that will be the biggest change driver.<br><br>
Historically, within engineering there was always limited career progression and a tendency towards relatively slow organizational and process change. If you look for examples of how we work globally with our technology and engineering clients, we’ve had to work to counteract the upcoming retirement cliffs within that sector, and at changing the employee branding from an aesthetic to an engaging employer with a strong focus on new HR technology.<br><br>
These changes will make engineering significantly more dynamic from both an employee’s and an employer’s perspective. Engineering has never been so powerful. It’s able to tackle more complex societal problems, which means the field becomes more attractive to a greater number of people.<br><br>
However, we are still lacking an image of diversity within engineering globally so there is lots to work on. The day-to-day aim of engineering is to be able to adapt to different products and solutions and to attract new talent into the sector, but it’s just a start. And let’s not forget our own initiative - the Randstad Williams F1 Engineering Academy to push forward this image change within the industry.<br><br>
*Randstad has been the official partner of the Williams Martini Racing Team since 2006. Ours is a relationship based on shared values and a determination to produce real results - both of which are underpinned by the caliber of people we employ. This partnership fuels our expertise in engineering recruitment as well as help professional engineering job seekers land the best possible positions.