Working in the steel industry
Where will you be in five years’ time?
One thing is certain: having studied materials design - and with your completed Master of Science in Engineering - you hold the ticket to a high-tech industry of the future. You are certainly attractive in the steel industry’s job market, in Sweden and the rest of the world.
Great opportunities for international work
By becoming a Master of Science in Engineering, MSc (civilingenjör) or a Bachelor of Sience in Engineering, BSc (högskoleingenjör) in the materials science field, many exciting possibilities are open to you in terms of technology, the people you meet and business opportunities.
The steel industry offers a future with multiple challenges. There is vision, the will to invest, environmental awareness, high technology, good profitability and opportunities for personal development and further education and training. In Sweden you will find many leading international steel companies where state-of-the-art products are manufactured that are sold around the world. Many of these companies therefore have a large number of production units or sales companies abroad.
A state-of-the-art industry
Over a long period, the steel industry has undergone major restructuring processes. The number of those employed within the industry in Sweden has been on a downward trend since the mid-1960’s. Some people draw the erroneous conclusion from this fact that the industry is becoming less and less significant from an economic viewpoint. But that is not the case! The production of steel has steadily increased and likewise the industry’s demand for well-qualified engineers.
The restructuring has meant that the Swedish steel companies have specialised within different product areas. This means that they have, more or less, ceased to compete with each other but instead compete in a tough international market.
Established products, processes and areas of application are continually developed at the same time as completely new steel grades and production methods emerge from research. All this requires high levels of competence, so it is no coincidence that every tenth employee within the Swedish steel industry is a qualified BSc or MSc in Engineering or has an PhD degree (Teknisk doktor). At the present time, there are about 800 MSc in Engineering active in the steel companies. Every year about 60 MSc in Engineering are recruited by the steel companies half of whom have specialised in materials science.
Stimulating work
As a qualified MSc in Engineering with specialisation in materials science you are able to choose among many interesting areas of employment.
You can, for example, choose to specialise in
- materials development, to develop new materials for new products
- operations research, to optimise day-to-day operations
- production engineering, to keep the plant operating
- environmental technology, to reduce the environmental impact
- process control, to control forces, temperatures, speeds, analyses etc.
- application-oriented engineering, to ensure that the products comply with the customer’s requirements
- marketing, to find markets for the company’s products
As a new employee you will become an engineering trainee or you will be appointed to a position directly. During the induction process you can try out different work assignments so you acquire an overall picture of the company and can figure out what it is you are most interested in.
The employees very much participate in the development of the companies and their operations. The work takes place on the basis of management by objectives. Frequently, at an early stage, you will take responsibility for and steer your work to attain the goals that have been set, and of course also follow up the results. You will be able to work in an innovative environment that encourages experimentation and original thinking. Our future-oriented jobs are all about technology, meeting people and doing business, as mentioned above.
You can find further information on the websites of the steel companies (see our link directory).
