COLLEGE CHOICES: Think of an engineer. What do you think of? Someone, probably male, in a hard hat, with a measuring tape in his hand staring up at a crane. This image, completely out of kilter with the work of the modern engineer, unfortunately persists among the public.
While applications for engineering places are still at relatively healthy levels, industry and professional groups are worried that the overall trend is downward.
The crude stereotyping of the profession probably has something to do with it. There are plenty of female engineers, there are engineers who don't spend all day stomping around building sites. In fact of all the traditional professions, engineering encompasses more variety than most.
Yet the interest from year to year among school-leavers is changeable. This is understandable.
The fortunes of the engineering sector are tied directly to the fortunes of the national economy. The 1980s were awful; the 1990s were joyous. What lies ahead is uncertain at this stage. While the Government is pressing ahead with infrastructural projects, things may slow down over the next five years.
Mr Brendan Cremin, director of engineering at the Xilinx Ireland plant in City West, says the sector has been badly hit by the meltdown in the IT industry, with parents and students mixing engineering with narrow IT careers.
"We realise there is anxiety out there, but students are making career decisions, not short-term decisions based on the health of a sector in one particular year".
He also says the lack of female engineers is being addressed, with 20 per cent of many classes in third level now female.
"Look at this as a career over a period of 20 or 30 years. Opportunities will be there for you. If you have that maths or scientific bent, this is the area for you," he says.
Some 13 large electronics companies have banded together, called Midas, to get this message across to the public.
School visits are a major part of its work, and the message appears to be getting through.
The lack of interest, however, could be good for students, pushing points down. But however low points fall, the reality is that good maths or physics skills are needed for this sector.
Engineering branches
There are at least 14 engineering disciplines, but four main ones: civil, electrical, electronic and mechanical. Because of the infrastructural boom, civil has become very popular with students. This usually involves working on big projects such as roads and bridges. It is the one area that fulfils the traditional stereotype of the engineer.
UCD's civil course (DN 072) required 455 points last year and the other options something similar. However, 360 points was sufficient for electronic or electrical engineering, which is the more computer-orientated side of the profession. If you like tinkering with machines, or even your bike, mechanical engineering might be the one for you.
The great thing about engineering nowadays is that you can shed your skin ultimately and become a manager of a firm or organisation.
Throughout Irish industry engineers are becoming chief executives, a good example being Dr Chris Horn, who founded Iona Technologies, the highly successful software firm.
The big decision at third level is whether to take a denominated degree (chemical, civil, mechanical engineering etc) or a general engineering degree.
Some people argue that specialised degrees are not the best option because they force 17- and 18-year-old students to specialise much too early in their careers.
Most universities do not agree with this view and have increasingly offered denominated degrees.
However, at Trinity College a general engineering degree (TR 032) is offered, although students do specialise later.
Students can find themselves cut off if they select an engineering option they dislike, so be careful when making this decision because you may want to keep your options open for as long as possible.
Other options
Because of the high points requirements many students will not be able to get a place on an engineering degree course. That should not mean an end to their aspirations.
For example, there are 70 certificate/diplomas in engineering fields in the Institutes of Technology.
These allow students to become technicians, and while the salaries are not as high as those paid to degree-holders, these courses are worth pursuing.
Dundalk IT is currently operating a novel scheme on its diploma in electronic engineering (product development) where students and lecturers decide the pace of the course and spend longer on sections which present difficulty, and there is flexible timetabling.
This scheme, known as Meitheal, has helped to produce improved results in 2002-2003.
Of course, you can take a degree at a later date, often paid for by the company you work with.
If you do not make it on to a degree course, these courses, spread all over the country, are worth considering.
A book on this whole area, Engineering As a Career, by Prof Gerry Byrne, head of mechanical engineering at UCD, is available in book shops.