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Opto-electronics is powerful because it enables many other technical systems to work effectively. It includes:

Wales has many companies working in this area and several of them are recognised as world leaders in technology. The work can be exiting: to stay in this position the companies need to use state of the art technology in design, manufacturing and testing. Two examples where this can be found are in military systems and in space.

Try this experiment: look out of the window, then look back at this text for long enough for your eyes to re-focus your eyes again. How long did this take? 1 second? 2 seconds? When a pilot is flying a fighter aircraft at the speed of sound, he cannot spend this amount of time looking away from the target, so the information from the critical instruments is displayed on a special glass panel in front of him, imaged so that his eyes do not have to change focus to read it. To do this well needs good optical design high-precision manufacture and advanced technology in holography and optical coatings.... And Wales leads the world in this technology, with two companies in North Wales supplying to UK, USA and other Air Forces

Without realising it, you are using opto-electronics throughout the day; look around for these examples, and imagine how modern life would be without them.

How many displays of numbers do you have in your house? They are to be found on the alarm clock, the TV and video recorder, the microwave cooker and some ovens. There are even more liquid crystal displays, which look black on grey; you will find them on watches, calculators, telephones, portable radios, tape and CD players and office machines such as faxes and copiers. Most laptop computers have liquid crystal displays and those in colour include other opto-electronic technology as well. Large flat screen TV’s that you can hang on the wall are now available, and the price will soon be down to prices a home can afford

Because it finds application in so many fields, careers that need an understanding of opto-electronics are numerous:

• doctors use lasers for surgery as do civil engineers for surveying;
• biochemists use the detection of light emission to monitor the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs, supermarket managers rely on the everyday bar code scanner used for controlling their stock.

Knowledge and understanding of optoelectronics comes from studying subjects like maths, physics, chemistry and of course technology. Studying at GCSE level will introduce you to optoelectronics, and you could go into a lot of depth by choosing an optoelectronics theme for your project in technology. Beyond 16, choosing apprenticeships, traineeships, or A-levels can all lead to careers with optoelectronics companies in North Wales and beyond. Many employees have studied at degree level, and they are now influencing the technologies we use everyday, both now and in the future.

Careers using opto-electronics are for people with a wide range of skills and knowledge at different levels, and include the manufacture of components, design, assembly and testing of systems, technical sales and fundamental research. Some examples of occupations are:

• Biological Researcher and Technician,
• Civil Engineer,
• Autofocus camera lens designer,
• Heating Engineer,
• Communications System Installer,
• Conservation Specialist,
• Environmental Inspector,
• Quality Control Inspector,
• Surgeon, Skilled Machinist

Careers information can be obtained from your local Careers Wales office.

Technical information can be obtained from the Welsh Opto-electronics Forum web site at www.wof.org.uk

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