Throughout the day - at home, at work and at play - we rely on the work of engineers. Engineers are responsible for creating what never existed before, and have influenced every product and construction used by modern society. Engineering is everywhere and shaping our world for the better.

Engineering is about ensuring the health, happiness and safety of our planet's future. Our global challenges abound; engineers are at the centre of inventing creative solutions to address these challenges head-on. Now and in the future, engineers will play a vital role in finding solutions to many of the important issues facing us today, such as global warming, energy supplies, clean water, food shortages, transport, obesity, healthcare and the ageing population.

While Engineers use science and maths to design or create solutions to real world problems, engineering is not really considered science. Science is about discovering and understanding the natural. Engineering is about inventing and designing and implementing the artificial.

Take the study of the human body as an example. Medicine aims to understand and sustain the human body, while biomedical engineers design artificial devices that enhance and replace some of the body's functions, like the pacemaker and the bionic eye.

The word 'engineering' probably makes you think of hard-hats and blue overalls, right? If so, you can forget the stereotype, the 'nuts' and bolts' engineer hasn't been the typical engineer for years. Whilst engineers are still responsible for our bridges, skyscrapers and machinery, today's engineers also design and build everything from our computer systems and satellites, to our medical devices and renewable energy technologies.

Right now engineers are inventing technologies that we can't yet even imagine! This is why engineering is a great outlet for those with imagination, since the possibilities are endless.

• have an innate curiosity about how things work
• are good at maths and science
• like to tackle a challenging problem
• enjoy working as a part of a team
• want to make a difference to the lives of individuals and society as a whole.