Engineering while leveling

I'm slightly more experienced in the game than I was 1 month ago, and I've been thinking of making my first alt. So far I've picked mostly "safe" professions like Skinning and Tailoring, and I've been thinking of spicing things up with Mining and Engineering. I heard many good things about the latter, such as how much it dominates the late game, but I've been wondering if it is the right choice for leveling. Does engineering offer any utility for players who aren't in the max level range?