Automotive Engineering Skills and Job Roles of the Future

Automotive is the term used to describe aspects or features related to or concerned with engine driven motor vehicles. Automotive or Automobile engineering is a branch of Mechanical Engineering and it deals with the designing, operation, and construction of automobiles. It can be also counted as a branch of Vehicle Engineering which works with automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, cars, and buses. Pursuing a degree in Automotive Engineering is becoming more and more relevant as we are getting accustomed to a world of pandemic and lock down where the number of vehicle user is growing rapidly. When larger population is shifting to plying a vehicle on their own, to have a solid grasp of the skills of Automotive Engineering would prove fruitful. Other than listing the skills this post will also mention the available job roles for a candidate who successfully completes a degree in Automotive Engineering.

Technological advancement and new lifestyle demand is changing the way we live and affects the future development and usage of technologies in multiple fields including that of automotive sector. To suit the supply to the altered demand, the future car is aiming to be smart, safe, and autonomous. The social demand dictates that this need to be achieved in a short time span, and we need to investigate and establish a combination of new, emerging and existing set of skills to define future job roles and skills required for the design, production and maintenance of cars. Once these skills are categorised into the phases of engineering, production, and maintenance in the automotive life cycle then we obtain an interesting future picture of a vehicle that will integrate smart technologies, smart production, smart maintenance and continuous machine learning.

The very first criterion is that a student must have completed a bachelor’s degree in engineering to work as an automotive engineer. For instance, mechanical engineers are required to work on engines and transmissions. Having outstanding mathematical dexterity and information technology (IT) knowledge are basic requirements. Apart from being technically savvy, an automotive engineer ought to be articulate about her ideas and possess good presentation skills. Having a mechanical background facilitates to gain a thorough awareness of the various components of a car, its functions and operation. It is crucial for an automotive engineer to have a high level of manual dexterity as they might have to fabricate models and also handle the fitting of small parts, wires and other components.

An automotive engineer should not only be concerned about functionality of the car but should also have an eye to judge physical appearance as aesthetics in a vehicle’s interior design is a huge part of its popularity. She should think of and implement new ideas to make the vehicles look modern and chic. A key skill of an automotive engineer should be to be equipped with sound technical knowledge for analyzing problems and interpreting data, since she is responsible for carrying out tests that ensure vehicular safety. Additionally, she should learn to prioritize her work, be an efficient planner, meet deadlines and deal effectively with various constraints. She should also be precise, meticulous, systematic and up to date with the latest skills and knowledge.

After doing a course in Automotive Engineering, there are diverse job titles open for a job aspirant. The various job titles would include preparing design specifications, researching, developing and producing new vehicles or vehicle subsystems, using computerized models to determine the behavior and efficiency of a vehicle, and investigating instances of product failure. Apart from this they also look after preparing cost estimates for current or new vehicles, assessing the safety and environmental components of an automotive project, and creating plans and drawings for new vehicle products. George Telegraph Training Institute (GTTI) in Kolkata is one of the top institutes offering automotive engineering courses among other similar courses. The automobile mechanic training provided by GTTI has course duration of 6 months and the eligibility criteria is to be class 8 pass. On the other hand the automotive or automobile engineering course is of 2 years duration and the eligibility criterion is class 10th pass.