From building bridges to IT, mechanical, chemical and manufacturing, the job prospects for engineers look promising as specialisations within the field and demand for talent grow. Also, the implementation of major government infrastructure projects - including rail and road networks, hospitals and the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge - will provide employment for engineers for the foreseeable future.
Nicolas Borit, Dragages Hong Kong's managing director, says to maximise talent flexibility and provide employees with job security, young engineers who join Dragages learn competency skills in civil and building techniques.
'Whenever infrastructure projects are in a civil or building phase, we have the professionals in place to provide the solutions,' he says, adding that the strategy also ensures a stable workforce and sustainable pipeline of engineers.
Typically, graduate engineers who join the firm spend the first four to five years rotating between projects, learning civil and building engineering skills. Echoing the prevalent industry view, Borit says the sector needs more talent.
According to the department of civil and environmental engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, graduates of the bachelor of engineering in civil and structural engineering have excellent opportunities to work in a range of areas, such as government departments, engineering consulting industries, construction firms, and international engineering industries.
A civil engineering education is also a good foundation for careers as middle- to top-level managers, as well as sales and technical representatives.
Professor Sean Tang, associate dean for research at the Chinese University of Hong Kong's (CUHK) faculty of engineering, sees plenty of jobs from cross-border co-operation with mainland firms that have recently located in the Hong Kong Science Park.
