• Question from:Andrew Kirk

Hi,
I have recently left the RAF where I served 10 years as an aeronautical engineer, during this time I have had a keen interest in biology and now would like to pursue this as a career. Unfortunately I joined the military straight from school, where I gained very high marks, thus have no higher education. Due to my age and commitments I can't afford to go to university full time so have been considering open uni. Would this be a sufficient starting place? If yes then what advice would you give on future paths to take and if no what would be a better place to begin. I currently work full time as an engineer in mini power stations and renewable energy production but I would love to leave this for a career I would enjoy even if this means a rather drastic pay reduction! I am sure you answer a lot of similar questions but I would appreciate any advice you could give me.

Regards

Andy Kirk

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  • University of Exeter
  • Posts: 577

It's never too late! Yes, open university would be a good place to start and perhap contact them to see what is possible based on the school qualifications you do have.

From there you may need to think in a slightly more focused way about what sort of career you want. The term "biologist" is probably even more borad in scope that the term "engineer" - so do you want to work in the field, in a lab, in industry. Are you interested in human health, wildlife ecology, DNA sequencing, fossils etc etc. There is no rush of course -my advice would be to get studying and see where it takes you. You may also find that you'd be interested in combining your existing skills with biology and there are increasing opportunities to do e.g. environmental scientists often need some engineering, some biology and some chemistry.

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  • South London
  • Posts: 527

Combining biology and your existing skills might be a great place to start, as Al says.

Perhaps you could think about combining renewables with biodiversity? One of the big things in the very near future *should* be the UK catching up with continental Europe and integrating PV and solar thermal with biodiverse ('green' and 'brown')roofs. There is currently a large gap between what developers will countenance and what 1) the Local Planning Authority may recommend through condition(s) and 2) what we should be doing to enhance the remnants of the natural environment.

Someone with an understanding of both may well enhance either side of the planning divide (consultancy or LPA). The key thing which (in my experience almost never happens!) needs to occur is that biodiversity enhancements and (here in London) the 20% savings in CO2 emissions needs to be considered and evaluated at the very start of the design process. There is still a very entrenched position that there is an either / or situation; you can have a biodiverse roof OR photovoltaic / solar thermal panels. What I (and obviously, loads of other people!) am trying to do is promote the continental research showing that PV efficacy is increased through the addition of a biodiverse roof (through the creation of a more stable microclimate) and ensuring we get the best of both (biodiversity enhancements and more efficient renewables).

Personally, if I dealt with contractors / consultants that had more of a rounded knowledge on both renewables and biodiversity, I think we'd have a great many more and better developments, instead of being 20 years or more behind the best works of the Germans and Swiss. That isn't to say that we don't have some great biodiverse roofs in London (and Sheffield and loads of other places) but as a nation and a planning framework, we are SO inconsistent and SO adverse to 'trying something new'...