Mechanical engineers develop and design components and machinery used in industry.
What does a mechanical engineer do?
The daily duties of a mechanical engineer might include creating technical plans using computer aided design; researching and assessing new products and innovations; presenting design plans and data to managers; overseeing maintenance programmes and quality control, as well as managing and leading a project team.
What do I need to do to become a mechanical engineer?
You will need to be technically minded, good at maths and science, and like solving problems. You will usually need a foundation degree, HNC/HND or degree in an engineering subject.
Academic route
- Five GCSEs (grades A-C)
- Two or three A levels, often including maths and physics
Desirable qualifications
- Foundation degree
- HNC/HND
- A degree in an engineering subject
Where to find out more
Where could I be working?
You could find work with local and central government, the armed services, manufacturers in all industries, research and development companies, and public utilities.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0