Introduction
Engineering is described as the application of knowledge to solve problems. It involves the use of economic, social, mathematical, and scientific know-how from different fields to build, invent, and design. It can also involve the practical application of empirical evidence obtained from research. According to Young and Murray, engineering can also be defined in terms of the social knowledge held by a group of people (27). It can be used in the maintenance and improvement of materials, components, tools, machines, systems, structures, as well as processes used in human society.
The engineering field has several branches. Practitioners in each of these divisions focus on specialized fields. One of them is industrial engineering. The field focuses on the optimization of highly complex systems and processes. The main role of industrial engineers is to avoid wastage of resources that are used to generate value. They seek to promote efficiency in the use of man-hours, energy, machine time, money, and materials (Young and Murray 27). Professionals in the field aim at promoting the quality of products and performance within an organization. By improving processes, they help increase efficiency. At the same time, the profitability of the firm is promoted. As a result, the services of industrial engineers are highly required in the improvement of structures and systems. They are also needed in business management. Many of these practitioners rise to the ranks of presidents, chief executive officers (CEOs), and chief financial officers (CFOs) in the organizations that they work for.
Kuwait is a high-income generating economy. It is located in Western Asia. The country operates as a constitutional emirate. It has vast reserves of natural resources. In addition, the country has one of the most highly valued currencies in the global market. Oil deposits were discovered in the region in the late 1930s. Following this discovery, Kuwait rose to the ranks of some of the world’s most modernized nations (Hamza and Ali 13). However, several events have led to the devastation of the country’s economy. For example, the 1980s stock market meltdown led to a slowdown in the growth of the economy. The situation was further worsened when the nation was invaded by Iraq in 1990. To address the problem, it received military aid from the U.S. The incursion was vanquished in 1991. The year-long war to liberate the country led to the destruction of national infrastructure. For over two decades now, the nation has enjoyed political stability. Numerous measures have been put in place to revive Kuwait’s economy and restore it to its original status (Hamza and Ali 13).
In this paper, the author will analyze the status of the Kuwaiti job market. More specifically, an analysis will be made of careers in the country’s industrial engineering sector.
Careers in Industrial Engineering in Kuwait
Overview
The need to rebuild the Kuwaiti economy has resulted in high demand for industrial engineers in the country. They help in inventing, designing, and building activities. Their vast knowledge in management has also led to their high demand even outside the manufacturing and processing sectors. To better understand the issue of careers in industrial engineering in Kuwait, it is important to note that the current size of the nation’s population stands at around 4.1 million (Hamza and Ali 17). Approximately 1.2 million of these people are of Kuwaiti origin. According to Hamza and Ali, the remaining portion of the population is made up of foreigners (15). The situation means that about 70 percent of the individuals residing in the country come from other parts of the world. The majority of them have moved into the country in search of employment opportunities.
The high growth rate witnessed in the nation’s economy has attracted both professionals and entrepreneurs from around the world. Industrial engineers have identified vast opportunities in the country (Hamza and Ali 12). One of the greatest opportunities that have presented itself, and which is set to benefit industrial engineers, is the growing need to diversify the economy. A fall in global oil prices has resulted in reduced returns on investments made in this sector. For this reason, there is a rising need to build new industries that are more profitable to investors.
The Current State of Industrial Engineering in Kuwait
There is a growing demand for industrial engineers across the globe. The development is attributed to the fact that many governments and private investors acknowledge the important roles played by these professionals. Their contributions to the economy are not limited to the manufacturing and processing sectors. According to Qi, these practitioners are also moving into the management divisions of the economy (Proceedings of the 20th International Conference 34). However, in the recent past, the government of Kuwait has been criticized for failing to acknowledge the role of industrial engineers in the country (Hamza and Ali 13). For example, the public sector has conducted limited research to assess the potential benefits of seeking the services of these practitioners in different government departments. Studies have shown that professionals in this field are some of the best strategists across the globe (Aldowaisan and Allahverdi Improving Educational Objectives 9). When serving in these capacities, they advise the government on development matters. At the same time, the draft development programs would stir economic growth in the country. As a result of locking this group out of the public sector, the nation has continued to experience sluggish economic growth. However, there has been a slightly positive turn in the manner in which the government of Kuwait views the role of industrial engineers in promoting growth. In the Kuwaiti Development Program, which was released in 2009, the country’s administration acknowledged that industrial engineering was to play a major role in transforming the various sectors of government.
Unlike the government, the private sector in Kuwait has taken a more progressive view towards the role played by industrial engineers. As a result, there is a rising demand for these professionals in the country. The existing supply of industrial engineers in Kuwait is unable to satisfy the existing demand for these professionals (Hamza and Ali 16). To bridge this gap, a large number of expatriate workers continue to flow into the country to take up these roles. Despite this, there are concerns from different quarters that the foreign workers are unable to effectively perform the assignments given to them in Kuwait. The main reason behind this is the differences in education systems and standards among countries across the globe. In light of this, Aldowaisan and Allahverdi observe that locally trained professionals are preferred by the government and most businesses operating within the country (Continuous Improvement 9). To meet the rising demand, institutions of higher learning in the country, including Kuwait University, have sought to employ Master and Doctorate Degree holders in the field of industrial engineering to be members of faculty (Aldowaisan and Allahverdi Improving Educational Objectives 7). The individuals serve as lecturers and instructors in these institutions to train more professionals in this field. By training industrial engineers locally, Kuwait is set to benefit in terms of the high standards of work carried out by the graduates.
It is important to note that the economy of Kuwait is mostly based on oil. The country gets most of its foreign revenue by exporting the commodity. Selling petroleum-related products in the world market remains the mainstay of the local economy (Hamza and Ali 14). A large number of local and foreign oil companies have invested in the sector. They are involved in the exploration, extraction, and processing of the commodity. Such activities as the extraction of oil are regarded as resource-intensive undertakings. A lot of labor is required. At the same time, complex machines are used in the drilling, pumping, transportation, and storage of the commodity (Sethi 43). There has been a growing need to promote efficiency among firms operating in the sector. The reason behind this is that recent declines in international oil prices have led to a decrease in the profit margins of these firms. For them to continue producing and operating profitably, they must be able to minimize the number of resources they use in their operations.
The energy sector absolves the majority of the industrial engineers present in the country. They play an important role in ensuring that the available resources are used effectively and efficiently. Consequently, their activities result in increased productivity and profitability (Aldowaisan and Allahverdi Improving Educational Objectives 7). For example, increased efficiency among the workforce translates to fewer man-hours required to carry out specific activities. As a result, costs that were previously incurred in the remuneration of workers are lowered. Machine time can also be decreased through the use of complex engineering interventions. Such interventions are aimed at increasing the efficiency of these machines. Consequently, more work can be done within a considerably shorter duration of time.
Another reason why the demand for industrial engineers within the oil sector has remained high in the recent past is the need for strict safety measures in the workplace. Professionals in this field are involved in the assessment of risks associated with particular production activity. At the same time, they help in the formulation of organizational safety standards, procedures, and policies. As a result, potential loss of life and investment is prevented. The government of Kuwait also pays a lot of attention to the petroleum sector (Hamza and Ali 13). The reason behind this is that it accounts for about half of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). At the same time, 94 percent of the country’s exports are from this sector. As such, there is a need to ensure that risks that are likely to devastate the sector are prevented. The government has achieved this by seeking the services of highly trained industrial engineering practitioners. The professionals are paid to engage the private sector in the formulation of nationwide safety standards (Qi The 19th International Conference 61). Such interventions have reduced accidents, such as fires in the oil fields. Industrial engineers also help in the formulation of policies meant for other sectors of the economy. The result is continuous growth across all sectors of the economy.
The demand for industrial engineers is also high in the processing and manufacturing plants in Kuwait. The practitioners play a wide range of roles in this sector. To begin with, they are involved in innovation (Hamza and Ali 11). Their vast knowledge assists them to come up with new goods and services. The need to innovate may be driven by several factors. They include the inefficiencies reported in the products that are currently in the market. Innovation can also be meant to come up with goods and services that are currently not being produced (Qi Proceedings of the 20th International Conference 12). Industrial engineers also help to manufacture and process plants to design products that meet the needs of the consumers. At the same time, they ensure that these goods and services are produced at the least cost possible without compromising on their quality. They also offer advice on such matters as the type of raw materials to be used in the production of goods. They also help in the determination of quantities to be used in production.
It is also important to note that industrial engineers are employed by organizations in Kuwait to serve in various management positions. In most cases, they serve as administrators, such as presidents, CFOs, as well as CEOs (Hamza and Ali 15). As such, they are directly involved in the sharing of resources among organizational departments. They are preferred since they have diverse sets of skills. They can offer leadership on a wide range of matters, which include production, manufacturing, and human resource management (HRM). They also play a major role in directing operations in the organizations where they work. Their ability to perform different tasks also helps to lower the cost of operations (Qi The 19th International Conference 61). The reason behind this is that fewer persons have to be hired to perform management duties within such firms. Industrial engineers are also driven by efficiency. As such, they are associated with increased profitability. It is expected that the demand for these professionals will continue to grow in Kuwait in the coming years.
Opportunities in Industrial Engineering in Kuwait
It is expected that career opportunities in industrial engineering in Kuwait will increase in the future. One of the main reasons behind this is that the country’s private sector is growing at a fast pace. Consequently, there is a rise in the number of processing and manufacturing firms in the country. Most of these organizations seek the services of industrial engineers to boost their performance (Hamza and Ali 13). They view increased efficiency as one of the means through which they can be able to grow. At the same time, the majority of these organizations are small in size and cannot hire a large number of managers. They mainly opt to employ industrial managers to oversee the day-to-day running of the operations. For this reason, there is a need to increase the supply of industrial engineers in Kuwait.
Rising industrialization in Kuwait is also set to further raise the demand for industrial engineers. The reason is that the new manufacturing and processing firms need to hire professionals in this field to improve efficiency and increase productivity (Hamza and Ali 13). At the same time, industrialization creates employment opportunities for a large number of people. Industrial engineers are needed in HR planning and management. As a result, the organizations can hire and maintain the right number of persons required for performing tasks effectively and efficiently. At the same time, industrialization is associated with the increased consumption of resources. Care should be taken to ensure that these assets are not overused or underused (Qi The 19th International Conference 12). Using more resources than is required increases operational costs. As a result, the amount of revenues generated by firms also decreases. Under-consumption of resources is also potentially harmful to firms. The reason behind this is that it tends to lower the quality of goods and services produced. Industrial engineers are required to ensure that a balance is struck between the two sides.
There has also been an increase in the number of small businesses in Kuwait. The rise has mainly been as a result of a sharp rise in the country’s population. The growing number of expatriates moving into the country in search of employment opportunities has increased the demand for consumer goods and services (Hamza and Ali 14). Many small entrepreneurs have moved in to take up these opportunities. Like large businesses, they require the services of industrial engineers to advise them on the means through which they can increase their efficiency. However, they lack the resources to hire them on a full-time basis. The reason is that they generate a limited amount of revenue for them to be able to hire such high-profile employees (Sethi 35). The situation has created an opportunity for industrial engineers in Kuwait to engage in private practice. As such, they can offer consultancy services to a large number of small business owners. Such firms also benefit from this relationship given that they can acquire the services of these professionals as the need arises and at flexible rates.
Conclusion
Industrial engineers can perform a wide range of tasks in the organizations they work for. For instance, they can be involved in the improvement of processes, standards, and products. They play a major role in the invention, design, and production of goods and services. At the same time, they play managerial roles in most of these firms. To this end, they are involved in the allocation of resources among different departments of an organization. At the same time, they help in human resource planning and management. Unlike other professionals, industrial engineers can work in a wide range of organizations. For example, they are employed in government departments to help in the formulation of policies and operational standards. In Kuwait, they assist the authorities to come up with the appropriate policies that can be used in the implementation of safety standards. Their services are also sought by large and medium-sized businesses. In such organizations, they serve as administrators. Most small businesses operating in Kuwait lack the resources required to hire these professionals on a full-time basis. However, they can seek their services whenever a need arises. As a result of the wide range of tasks that can be performed by these practitioners, industrial engineers are the most preferred business administrators. It is important to increase their supply to meet the needs of the country.
Works Cited
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Qi, Ershi. Proceedings of 20th International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management: Theory and Application of Industrial Engineering, Heidelberg: Springer, 2013. Print.
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