Aimée McLaughlin - Winner of the Young Ambassador Award 2008

I am a Mechanical Engineer at INEOS Grangemouth Refinery and I love my job.

I have always been fascinated by how things work and how to make them work better. The role of mechanical engineer means I get to do this on a big scale everyday.

Though I don’t just get my hands dirty on site, my role involves me making presentations to senior staff, proposing, planning and implementing projects that make a big difference to the operating efficiency of my plant and very early in my career I was co-ordinating teams to carry out this work.

I got my job at INEOS after a summer workplacement whilst I was at university. The on the job training and support has been first rate and as a graduate I get to rotate round the various engineering roles before choosing a specialisation. INEOs is helping me gain my fellowship.

There are many different types of jobs in the chemical industry from engineering, environmental protection, laboratory research, sales, marketing, health and safety, policy experts, accounts, electricians, but if you have an analytical brain, good communication skills, enjoy the rewards of team work and are motivated to work in an industry that really makes a difference to everyone’s every day life then keep reading.

Your life would be very different without the chemical industry. This webpage would not exist without the magic of the chemical industry that goes for almost everything else in the room. The chemical industry make your life easier, safer and happier, helping you do more things faster and more effectively.

The chemical industry is continually pushing at the boundaries for instance in technology to reduce society’s carbon footprints. It thrives on the fresh ideas of new graduates.

As well as developing technologies such as lighter car parts and better building materials to cut carbon emissions the industry takes it’s environmental impact very seriously and has improved energy efficiency by 35% over the last 20 years.

The chemical industry is your opportunity to work towards a better future for the environment and be one of the new "green collar" jobs that will be an important part of our economy.

We are also extremely active to ensure the safety of our employees and those who live and work near our sites. Don’t take our word for it you can see what the regulators think of us at the Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive websites.

Exciting opportunities

Graduates in the chemical industry have the opportunity to make big impacts on companies early on in their careers because in a very competitive industry companies are always looking to improve products and how they are made.

In the modern industry teams of chemists and engineers work together on projects, the idea of a scientist at a bench all day with only test tubes for company is long gone.

The industry is global so if travel or working abroad is part of your plan then you can do it with the chemical industry without holding up your career with a year out working for tips behind a bar.

It is not all work work work

Science and engineering graduates tell us that one of the most rewarding part of their career in the chemical industry is the opportunity to be involved in schemes to excite and educate children about science and engineering and make them think differently about the role of the chemical industry. Sometimes this is through schemes run by employers in conjunction with organisations like:

Stemnet

Career resources to find out more information

Careers advice

Proskills - Process and manufacturing industries – building products, coatings, extractives, furniture, glass, paper and printing.

SEMTA - Science and engineering

SCENTA - the Engineering Technology Board careers website.

ENGINUITY- engineering and technology careers website for young people.

FUTUREMORPH - information on a whole range of careers which are possible from studying science, technology, engineering and maths.

ABPI CAREERS - information on careers in the pharmaceutical industry.

Icheme

Cogent

National Skills Academy Process Industries