It’s human instinct to want to leave something behind so that our ancestors can remember us.
This could be a pyramid or a priceless piece of artwork welded together in the garden shed. Or that impressive collection of football stickers dating back to when Eric Cantona played for SO Caillolais.
It’s an urge engineers understand all too well.
Using their skills, expertise and experience, they shape the world we live in – in a way Donald T would describe as big, very big, great, really great in fact.
Now while we usually think of big, really great structures such as skyscrapers and bridges as lasting legacies, there’s just as much imagination and hard work goes into engineering feats much closer to the ground.
Yes, we’re talking about the roads and railways that link our towns with villages and seaports with airports, keeping us connected to one another and the rest of the world.
So, if you’re considering a new career in engineering with s1jobs, what better inspiration than the rail and road projects transforming Scotland?
Get on the road to success
A sure sign that not all engineering feats reach for the heavens or cross chasms, Aberdeen’s Western Peripheral Route, due for completion this winter, is one of the biggest infrastructure projects currently under way in the north of Scotland.
The new road is a by-pass for the city and should ease traffic congestion in the centre and towards the airport.
Fast track your career
If ever there was a reason for engineers to feel proud it’s the Borders-Edinburgh Railway. Completed in September 2015, this is the longest new domestic railway to be constructed in Britain for 100 years.
The £294m line between the capital and Tweedbank features seven new stations and 30 miles of track, with BAM Nuttall, Network Rail and Transport Scotland all employers involved.
Double your chances
The A9, dubbed ‘the spine of Scotland’ because it runs for more than 270 miles from Polmont to Thurso, is also being upgraded.
In November 2011 the Scottish Government announced it would introduce a dual carriageway from Perth to Inverness.
This work is scheduled for completion in 2025 when drivers, if they’re not already using their bus passes by then, can look forward to the joy of not being stuck behind a caravan for 50 miles.
Plan your own road trip in Engineering with top vacancies from s1jobs