The job of engineer is arguably one of the most important global professions, and covers a wider range of activities today than ever before. Whereas an engineer might once have been thought of as someone working in heavy industry, the fact is that industry itself has changed out of all recognition in the last century. A software engineer can be just as vital to a nation’s economy as a civil engineer; indeed, the two disciplines now sometimes overlap.
On a global scale, the issue of resources already dominates politics and is sure to continue to do so. Fundamentally, making more out of less will be a prerequisite of almost all 21st century development. As a qualified engineer, then, any job applicant should be able to find work in almost any economy. In order to do this, however, background checks will be – and indeed are – essential in order to keep pace with ever expanding opportunities.
Shortage of Engineers
A recent economic survey reported that, by 2026, the number of engineers in demand across the world will be 15 million. This takes into account the average leaving age in the profession, which, while being well paid, can also be stressful and sometimes hazardous to health. It is often said that engineering is a young person’s job, and this is sure to continue to be the case in the coming decades. In order to satisfy demand for new engineers, more women than ever are being attracted to the profession; this is another important trend in the field.
CRB Checks for Engineers
With such a high demand for young, qualified engineers comes the need for suitable background checks; specifically, the criminal record disclosure provided by CRB Direct. The situation regarding engineering is variable in terms of trust; unlike teaching, health care and similar professions, engineers rarely come into contact with children or vulnerable adults. However, as an engineer could be expected to travel at short notice to a wide range of environments, their employer will want to know – and probably need to prove – that their workers represent no threat to the public.
Against this background, then, it is likely that obtaining work as an engineer will entail having a Standard DBS Check. These are requested by potential employers on specific grounds; i.e. the individual being checked may come into contact with one or more particular group/s of people during the course of their work. Standard checks reveal every conviction, caution, reprimand and final warning issued against the individual.
The logic of possible future workplace sometimes means that employers apply for Enhanced DBS checks for their engineers. This “belt and braces” approach ensures that an engineer is clear to work on sites and projects, such as extensions to school buildings, where previous convictions of a certain type would bar them from doing so.
Engineering Work Post-Brexit
With its tradition of being a very mobile profession, any restriction on freedom of movement could understandably be seen as a worrying development for engineers. In particular, the changes brought about by Brexit were at least partly to restrict movement into and out of the UK from the EU. In terms of background police checks, it seems that the trusted system administered by the UK’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) still remains adequate for work in the EU for British nationals; so at least that is one less thing to worry about.
As for employment prospects, the situation has been complicated somewhat by the introduction of new sponsorship rules and the need for a Tier 2 work via; these are needed by EU citizens wanting to work in the UK. This situation is having the effect of lowering the amount of applications from EU engineers for British jobs; as long as this persists, UK engineers are seeing higher demand – and, consequently, rewards – for jobs on British based projects. How long this situation will last is very hard to predict.
Transferrable CRB Checks
While the UK’s DBS system is trusted in most situations, either in the EU or further afield, it never hurts to be sure. With a seemingly unstable international situation, it could well be that new checks are suddenly introduced for British engineers in certain countries. For this reason, it makes sense to go through a trusted third party like CRB Direct to keep track of what will be needed to work in any given nation. Paying a small fee for this insurance up front could be very worthwhile in the long run.