3 Things You Must Know About Electrical and Electronic Engineering Post COVID-19

Electrical engineers are among the unsung heroes of ongoing technology advancement in these areas of modern life ranging from energy, healthcare, entertainment, and commerce, to communications, manufacturing and the environment. Building up from that base, Industrial Revolution (I.R.) 4.0 is leading the advancement such as mobile internet, artificial intelligence such as Alexa or your smartwatch, and advanced robotics – all these products would not be possible without the assistance of electrical and electronic engineers.

1: What EEE Engineers Do

Electrical and electronic engineering combine design creativity with scientific concepts to develop new electrical products, applications and even systems. Meaning – electrical and electronic engineers design electronic materials and integrating these into system. It helps by advancing healthcare by developing complex biosensors like blood glucose monitoring to manufacturing machines and electric cars and photovoltaic systems for the environment, electrical and electronic engineers are at the forefront in developing new, better ways to solve our current and future

challenges. Some other responsibilities held by electrical and electronic engineers are create computer chips for new systems, evaluate energy systems and offer recommendations for how to modify them so they perform better.

2: Job Prospect in EEE

According to TalentCorp Malaysia, electrical and electronic engineers are highly sought after mechanical engineers, particularly in the manufacturing, communication, healthcare and technical sectors. Looking at the importance of this area in engineering field, we can say that EEE is essentially a general, versatile area, that produces graduates who are versatile and able to find employment opportunities in many industries from automotive and biomedical to aerospace and IT. Whatever area of electrical and electronic engineering you choose to enter, salary prospects are promising for most positions in this field. According to RGF Salary Watch: Malaysia, the average salary for electrical and electronic engineers in large local or global MNC is minimum RM 48,000 per year for 3-5 years of experience and maximum RM 60,000!

The average starting salary for University of Southampton Malaysia’s graduates in the UK is RM168,300 (£31,000), according to Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Statistics, 2017/18.

3: Excelling in Electrical and Electronic Engineering Career

Covid-19 is a wakeup call, urging people to switch and adapt to digital skills to fill in the digital gap post outbreak. Even if the pandemic has changed our perspectives and acceleration of automation is rising, companies still need the talents to manage the technology. The field is becoming more competitive, a degree alone would not suffice. Graduates must show they have the soft skills employers seek and will set them apart from others:

Problem-solving abilities: inventing solutions is the core of what engineers do. But not only for the challenges in the work itself, most employers seek those who able to solve problems with clients, colleagues and others.

Programming skills: Although the importance of coding is higher in some fields of study; Computer Science or Software Engineering for example, it is a very useful knowledge to possess, especially when working with low-level embedded systems or analysing data. 

Flexibility and industry experience: Flexibility is important because even the best plans can go wrong. Employers will expect you to respond appropriately to any challenges that arise and to proactively engage in finding solutions to unexpected problems. During your study years in Southampton Malaysia you are actively encouraged to attend career fairs or employer-led workshops to gain insights into the industry.

So now, how to get your EEE degree

Many options readily available when it comes to studying electrical engineering. No matter your choice, it will need significant commitment on your time and finances. Consider earning a Master of Engineering in Electrical and Electronic Engineering through the University of Southampton Malaysia (UoSM), a branch campus of University of Southampton, UK. Students gets to spend 2 years in Malaysia and 2 years in the UK. In addition to be the UK’s leading university in engineering, the University is also ranked first for Electrical and Electronic Engineering by the Guardian University Guide, 2021. While EEE can be pretty pricey, how UoSM structures our Engineering programme (2+2) helps students and parents save up to 40% of the tuition fee, compared to getting the same degree in the UK.

Studying for a Electrical and Electronic Engineering degree at Southampton Malaysia is a versatile way to develop specific expertise in up to 7 themes such as Artificial Intelligence, Nanotechnology, Power Systems, and Software Engineering. Individual research project and group design project will be guided by a committed supervisor and allows students to work on industry-linked projects including for Dyson, Shell and Intel. To ensure students gain a practical learning experience, students are encouraged to participate in competitions such as the James Dyson Design competition and Formula 1 competition to showcase their work and apply their engineering knowledge to solve real-world problems. Understanding that finances is a concern during this challenging time, the University offers 100% scholarships and generous education grants to eligible applicants who wish to further their study at UoSM.

If you are interested to find out more about UoSM EEE or other programmes, contact the University at +6012 315 5047 or visit www.southamptonmalaysia.edu.my.