It's the building services engineer’s job to design, install and maintain the essential services such as gas, electricity, water, heating and lighting - as well as many you probably don't give much thought to. These all help to make buildings comfortable and healthy places to live and work in.
To fit into this role, you’ll need to be interested in science, especially physics. You'll also be interested in conservation, as it’ll be your job to ensure that all types of energy are used properly and efficiently. To find out more about what it takes to become a building services engineer, visit www.cibse.org.
To train as a building services engineer, you will need GCSEs (A-C) / Standard Grades (1-3) in Maths and Science, which will be helpful in measurements, planning and theory. Employers will often want a degree in a branch of engineering, such as building environment engineering, electrical engineering or mechanical engineering.
Alternatively, a BTEC, HND/HNC or other vocational qualification accredited by the Engineering Council UK (ECUK) will be accepted for those applying for trainee posts.
Before you can qualify as a registered engineer, you will need to pass a period of Initial Professional Development, assessed by the Engineers Council.
Graduates can expect to earn around £18,000, and senior engineers about £28,000. As always, salaries in London are higher. For further information on salaries refer to professional institutions and industry press.
