Everything we use is made from materials - substances like metals, alloys, ceramics, polymers and rubber. The products they are used in can range from roads and buildings to aircraft, artificial hips and even sports equipment.
Materials technicians investigate the properties of materials to make sure that the products they are used in will be safe, reliable and efficient. They could be involved in testing anything from a motorway bridge to a tiny component for telecommunications equipment.
The work involves using specialist equipment like grinding machines, hardness testing machines and powerful microscopes.
Materials technicians collect data from their research, using computers to store and analyse it, and they produce written reports on their findings.
Materials technicians usually work 35 to 40 hours a week. They are based in offices but may also work in laboratories or in places like oil rigs or near motorways. Working conditions vary and may involve dirt, noise, cold, wet, heat and dust. It may be necessary to work in confined spaces or high places and bend, lift and carry. Safety clothing and equipment is used.
Salaries start from around £16,000, rising to over £30,000 for specialist technicians.
A materials technician should:
- have research skills
- be a good communicator
- be confident with statistics and using computers
- be interested in science and engineering.
Materials technicians are employed by a wide range of organisations that manufacture products from raw materials - including transport, energy, sports equipment and medicine. Jobs are available all over the UK.
Many people enter this career through an Apprenticeship. Others enter with qualifications like Applied A levels, BTEC national certificates or diplomas, or Scottish group awards in subjects like engineering or materials engineering. Adult entry is possible with relevant work experience and qualifications.
Apprentices work towards NVQ/SVQ Level 3 as well as studying for a qualification like a BTEC national certificate or diploma, an SQA national certificate group award or City & Guilds certificate. Some technicians go on to work towards relevant degrees.
Promotion is to senior technician. Materials technicians with degrees could progress to become a materials scientist or materials engineer. Some move into purchasing, sales or management.
What is the work like?
Everything we use is made from materials. Materials include metals, alloys, ceramics, polymers and rubber. Materials technicians work in teams with materials scientists, materials engineers and other technicians, checking that the materials used in products have the right properties (for example flexibility, elasticity and strength) to ensure the product is safe, reliable and efficient.
Materials technicians could be involved with the design of an entirely new product, or help to make improvements to an existing product.
The work varies from employer to employer, but could involve:
- Testing materials to make sure that they are suitable for a particular product. This involves considering factors like safety, reliability, efficiency, cost and impact on the environment, and investigating how the material behaves under different conditions like heating or cooling.
- Non-destructive testing (NDT), which involves examining structures like roads, bridges and buildings, as well as products like aircraft and the equipment used in the production of energy, to make sure that the materials used are functioning well.
- Using NDT to examine component parts of a product like an aircraft rather than the whole item. This could involve using hi-tech equipment to check for cracks or changes in the metal microstructure in an essential component.
- Testing components that have failed or broken while the product was in use, to discover why the fault occurred and work out ways of preventing it from happening in the future.
The work involves using specialist equipment like grinding machines, hardness testing machines and powerful microscopes. Some processes involve the use of chemicals. Materials technicians collect data from their research and use computers to store and analyse it. They produce written reports on their findings.
Starting salaries are around £16,000 a year.
Hours and environment
Materials technicians usually work 35 to 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday. Overtime, which may include weekend working, is sometimes required.
Materials technicians are based in offices. They sit at workstations using computers. When testing materials, they may work in laboratories or on site in places like oil rigs or motorway bridges. Working conditions vary. Laboratories are usually clean and well lit. Certain tests can create dirt and noise but in those cases safety equipment will be used to protect workers from harm. On-site conditions could be cold, wet, hot or dusty and may involve working in confined spaces or at height. Some tasks involve bending, lifting and carrying.
The safety clothing and equipment worn could range from rubber gloves, ear plugs and eye protection to a hard hat and safety boots, depending on the work being undertaken.
Salary and other benefits
These figures are only a guide, as actual rates of pay may vary, depending on the employer and where people live.
- Starting salaries are around £16,000 a year.
- With experience this could rise to £25,000.
- Specialist technicians can earn over £30,000.
There may be additional payments for overtime and shifts.
Skills and personal qualities
A materials technician should:
- have research skills
- be a good communicator
- be confident working with statistics and calculations
- be computer literate
- have report writing skills
- be meticulous, with an eye for detail
- be able to work alone or as part of a team
- have normal colour vision for some types of testing
- be able to follow health and safety requirements.
Interests
It is important to:
- be interested in science and engineering
- enjoy problem solving
- be interested in manufacturing processes and construction methods.
Getting in
Materials technicians are employed in a wide range of organisations including those involved in:
- transport
- aerospace
- communications
- energy production, for example gas, coal, oil and nuclear power
- sports equipment manufacture - investigating ways of giving sportspeople a competitive advantage by improving the equipment they use
- medicine - improving products such as artificial knee and hip joints
- many other types of manufacture where items are produced from raw materials, for example food products.
There are also opportunities with independent consultancies which carry out research on behalf of other organisations.
Jobs are available all over the UK. Vacancies are advertised in the local press, in specialist publications like Materials World and on The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) website.
Entry for young people
Many people enter this career through an Apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships which may be available in England are Young Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships, Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships. To find out which one is most appropriate log onto www.apprenticeships.org.uk or contact your local Connexions Partnership.
There are different arrangements for Apprenticeships in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. For further information contact Careers Scotland www.careers-scotland.org.uk, Careers Wales www.careerswales.com; and for Northern Ireland contact COIU www.delni.gov.uk.
To become an apprentice, candidates usually need four GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3), including English, maths and science or technology, or equivalent qualifications. Apprenticeships are open to people aged between 16 and 25. It is important to check with the employer that this is a technician apprenticeship - some apprenticeships lead to craft jobs.
It is also possible to start a career as a materials technician after completing a course in a subject like engineering or materials engineering. Suitable qualifications for entry include Applied A levels, BTEC national certificates or diplomas, or Scottish group awards. Applicants for these courses usually need four GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3), including maths and science or technology, or equivalent qualifications.
Entry for adults
Mature entrants with relevant work experience and an appropriate knowledge of maths and physics may be welcome.
Training
Apprentices work towards NVQ/SVQ Level 3. Training can involve in-house training in a training centre, on-the-job training with experienced colleagues, day or block release at college and workplace assignments. Apprentices also study for a qualification like a BTEC national certificate or diploma, an SQA national certificate group award or a City & Guilds certificate. The actual subjects studied depend on the employer’s business.
Apprenticeships in engineering lead to qualifications that enable technicians to apply for university places.
To register with the Engineering Council and gain the qualification EngTech, candidates will need:
- an appropriate qualification such as an NVQ/SVQ Level 3, BTEC national certificate or diploma, or an SQA national certificate group award
- at least three years' work experience after qualifying, including suitable further training and development
- to be aged 21 or over
- to be a member of the relevant professional institution, such as the Royal Aeronautical Society, Institute of Materials or Institute of Incorporated Engineers.
The IOM Academy provides distance learning courses in materials engineering, designed specifically for the industry.
Getting on
Promotion is to senior technician or, with experience and further study leading to a degree, materials technicians can progress to become a materials scientist or materials engineer. There may also be opportunities in other areas of the employer’s business such as purchasing, sales and management.
Further information
The Engineering Careers Information Service (ECIS), 14 Upton Road, Watford WD18 0JT. 0800 282167. Website: www.enginuity.org.uk
Engineering Council UK, 10 Maltravers Street, London WC2R 3ER. 020 7240 7891.
Website: www.engc.org.uk
The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, 1 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5DB. 020 7451 7300. Website: www.iom3.org
The Institution of Incorporated Engineers (IIE), Savoy Hill House, Savoy Hill, London WC2R OBS. 020 7836 3357. Website: www.iie.org.uk
Further reading
E-Careers CD Rom - ECIS
Earning and Learning in Engineering - ECIS
Engineering in Scotland - ECIS
Exploring Materials (an interactive CD-ROM) - IOM3
Which way into Engineering (versions for England, Scotland and Wales) - ECIS (downloadable at www.enginuity.org.uk)
Working in engineering - Connexions
Working in manufacturing - Connexions
Magazines/journals:
Materials World - IOM3
(Some may be priced)
For further details please see:
http://www.connexions-direct.com/
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