Building services engineer Job Information | National Careers Service

The work

There is a diverse range of careers available within the industry including:

• Design Engineer
• Computer Aided Design Technician
• Commissioning Engineer
• Contract or Project Engineer
• Service and Maintenance Engineer
• Site Supervisor
• Contract or Project Manager
• Consulting Engineer
• Estimator/Quantity Surveyor
• Educator and Trainer.

Depending upon the career route followed, your duties could include:

• drawing up installation plans using computer aided design (CAD)
• coordinating the work of technicians and craftspeople on site
• testing and checking services and carrying out any necessary improvements
• making sure jobs meet Building Regulations and health and safety requirements
• attending meetings and presenting ideas and progress reports to managers and clients
• overseeing inspection and maintenance programmes
• meeting with the manufacturers of building supplies to keep up to date with new product developments, assessing the energy efficiency and environmental impact of buildings
• estimating
• buying
• project management.

Hours

You would usually work 35 to 40 hours a week, with a combination of office work and site visits. Extra hours may be required to meet deadlines and you may have on-call duties. Part-time work is also possible.

Depending upon what type of work you specialise in, you may spend time working at a desk and/or on sites which might be existing buildings or building sites.

Working in this industry often means you are based locally, travelling from one project to the next. Some larger companies work across the whole country (or even internationally) so if you work for these firms you might stay overnight for short or long periods if a project is far from home.

Income

Starting salaries are between £20,000 and £24,000 a year.

Experienced engineers earn between £25,000 and £35,000.

Senior engineers can earn over £45,000 a year.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

You could qualify as an engineer by starting as a trainee technician on an engineering Apprenticeship scheme. To get on to a scheme you will usually need at least three GCSEs (grades A-C), or equivalent qualifications.

The range of Apprenticeships available in your area will depend on the local jobs market and the types of skills employers need. For more information, visit the Apprenticeships website.

• Apprenticeships

Another option is to do a college university qualification, which would teach you some of the knowledge and skills needed. Courses include:

• NVQ Diplomas (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and often delivered as part of an Apprenticeship
• SVQs (in Scotland) and often delivered as part of an Apprenticeship
• Higher National Certificates (HNC)
• Higher National Diplomas (HND)
• Foundation degrees (Fd) (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland), ideally completed part-time whilst in relevant employment
• Honours degrees
• Masters degrees and other postgraduate qualifications.

Depending upon the level at which you wish to study and your career hopes, you could study a general qualification in building services engineering or a qualification in a specific industry discipline (such as plumbing, refrigeration and air conditioning, or heating and ventilation engineering).

A range of related qualifications are also available (particularly at university level). These may vary in relevance to building services engineering in areas such as mechanical engineering, electrotechnical engineering, project management and sustainability.

Every career within the sector requires a strong mix of knowledge and skills, and to be properly qualified you should expect to spend at least three or four years completing training, supported by experience working in the sector.

It is not possible to become properly qualified through short intensive training skills.

Make sure any initial training course will provide you with an NVQ Diploma (or in Scotland an SVQ) or a qualification recognised by a Professional Body, such as the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.

You should check with colleges and universities for their exact course entry requirements.

You may additionally need a driving licence.

Once you have gained initial qualifications and experience, you could continue your training on the job, working your way up to Technician, Incorporated or Chartered engineer level.

You can find more details and information on qualifications and training providers from the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), SummitSkills and other organisations listed below. The Engineering Training Council (Northern Ireland) also has careers information and a course database for colleges in that area.

Training and development

Building services engineers usually progress by taking on more managerial responsibility. You might become a team leader, project leader, project manager or department manager. You could even become a company director or partner, and there are many opportunities to work abroad.

Because the technology in the BSE sector is constantly changing, if you want to progress you will have to be committed to further training and skills development to make sure your knowledge is constantly up to date. You may opt to complete additional qualifications, such as a HNC, HND, degree or post-graduate qualification, through part-time study.

You could also take on-the-job qualifications, such as NVQ Diplomas or a Foundation degree.

You could improve your career prospects by working towards Engineering Technician, Incorporated Engineer or Chartered Engineer status. To do this, you should register with an appropriate Engineering Council licensed professional body. You will need to demonstrate that you meet the necessary competence and knowledge requirements (usually through having appropriate qualifications and experience). It may also be possible to join a professional body as a trainee or student.

If you join an appropriate Professional Body and achieve recognition as an Engineering Technician, Incorporated Engineer or Chartered Engineer, you and your employer will be able to confidently tell clients that you are a professional building services engineer.

If you wish to achieve professional recognition you will need to check that any qualifications you plan to study for are approved by the bodies you might wish to join.

You can ask them directly (contact details below). There is also a search facility on the Engineering Council website. It is important to keep a record of your work experience, as you will need to show evidence of your practical achievements and responsibilities. You might also have to attend an interview and, if you are going for Chartered status, undertake some further learning.

Skills and knowledge

Whether you’re male or female, the building services engineering sector is looking for people that:

• are good at maths and physics
• have an aptitude for design
• can become proficient in working with computers and computer-aided design (CAD) software
• can analyse and solve problems creatively
• have good communication and interpersonal skills
• are able to take responsibility
• work well in a team
• have good organisational skills
• can work carefully, methodically and safely
• can adapt to change
• can motivate others.

More information

SummitSkills
Tel: 08000 688336
www.summitskills.org.uk

UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (UKRC)
Listerhills Park of Science and Commerce
40-42 Campus Road
Bradford
BD7 1HR
Tel: 01274 436485
http://www.theukrc.org/

Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)
222 Balham High Road
Balham
London
SW12 9BS
Tel: 020 8675 5211
www.cibse.org

Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (IPHE)
(incl Women in Plumbing Group)
64 Station Lane
Hornchurch
Essex
RM12 6NB
Tel: 01708 472791
www.ciphe.org.uk

Energy Institute
61 New Cavendish Street
London
W1G 7AR
http://www.energyinst.org/home

Tomorrow's Engineers
EngineeringUK
Weston House
246 High Holborn
London
WC1V 7EX
Email: careers@engineeringuk.com
Tel: 020 3206 0400
www.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk

Institute of Refrigeration
www.ior.org.uk

Institution of Mechanical Engineers
1 Birdcage Walk
Westminster
London
SW1H 9JJ
Tel: 020 7222 7899
http://www.imeche.org/Home

Institution of Engineering and Technology
Michael Faraday House
Stevenage
Hertfordshire
SG1 2AY
Tel: 01438 313 311
www.theiet.org

Institute of Domestic Heating & Environmental Engineers
P O Box 329
Southampton
SO40 0BT
U.K.
Tel: +44[0]2380668900
Fax: +44[0]2380660888
Email: admin@idhee.org.ukhttp://www.idhee.org.uk/

Opportunities

Whether UK-based or abroad, you could be working for design consultancies, major building contractors, building services contractors and manufacturers of equipment such as lifts. Building services engineers also work for local authorities, government departments, hospitals, factories and power stations.

With experience, you could move into senior project management or specialise in a professional role, perhaps as a building services engineering quantity surveyor or designer. Eventually you could become self-employed and work on a consultancy or sub-contract basis.

You may find the following useful for vacancies and general reading (links open in new window):

• Building4Jobs
• Engineering Jobs Network
• Hays Specialist Recruitment
• The Engineer Online

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.