Working hours and conditions Typically includes regular unsocial hours Particularly in early career. Constant contact with staff. Conditions vary widely, from clean room to foundry. May be noisy, hot and involve some time working amongst machinery. Jobs are quite widely available Mainly in traditional industrial areas or in newer industrial estates.
Opportunities exist in most areas of the country.
Involves working under the pressure of constant tight deadlines and considerable responsibility. In early career, shiftwork is likely, and may be on-call at weekends, nights and public holidays to deal with crises. The proportion of women in heavy industry is small but higher in food, electronics, textiles etc. Although open to all graduates the specialisms listed are commonly sought and science or engineering is often preferred. Graduates may be preferred by some employers.