The workers most in demand in 2018

BIOMEDICAL engineers, relocation consultants and senior project design engineers are tipped to be the most in-demand workers this year.

Doug Monro, co-founder of job search engine Adzuna, which compiled the list, says: ‘It’s not often we see biomedical engineers and relocation consultants vying for top spot.’

Dr Peter Bannister (right), chief technology officer of Median Technologies and a biomedical engineer for 15 years, says: ‘We are developing software that combines medical images and patient data. Physicians will diagnose cancers precisely and easily and accelerate drug development.’

Peter got into biomedical engineering via an engineering and computing degree, then specialised in medical imaging.

For anyone considering a biomedical engineering degree, Peter, who is also chair of the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s healthcare technical network, advises getting practical experience in a clinical setting or doing an internship. Dr Helen Meese, head of healthcare at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, says: ‘There is a huge market for biomedical engineers now because the medical technology industry is booming. The NHS offers a few technical apprenticeships, but we need more.’

Most biomedical technology employers are small companies — there are around 3,000 employing 90,000 to 100,000 people.

SEE abhi.org.uk for a list of employers. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (imeche.org) has a section about biomedical engineering, and the IET (theiet.org) has a section on healthcare technology.