Opinion
A hidden profession
How can we hope to attract school children to our
industry when the public still do not know the benefits
we bring them, asks young engineer Morwenna Wilson
N
aturally, people like to be praised. The police that education of young people is the key. It is only
seek to be commended for maintaining law through touching and influencing the imaginations of
and order, chefs applauded for rustling up children that we can encourage them to engage with
tasty delights, architects congratulated for technical subjects at school and at the very least have
designing aesthetically pleasing spaces. There is a the opportunity to keep a career in building services
theme and it is this – the majority of professionals are engineering in mind. Otherwise we simply rely on the
in the fortunate position that, when they do their job majority of people falling into the job, as I and many of
well, it is obvious for all to see and therefore to praise. my fellow peers have done.
We, however, as building services engineers are one of On first appearances,
the unlucky exceptions. the promotion of services
If we are being
When a building services engineer has done a engineering does not seem to
good job the heating, ventilation and air conditioning be the easiest of tasks. If we are
brutally honest, it
systems work without the occupants even noticing being brutally honest, it is not
is not the most glamorous
that they are there. The concealed power cables and the most glamorous of jobs. It
wiring ensure that when the switch is flicked the is not even the most glamorous
of jobs. It is not even the
lights turn on and the hidden pumps and pipework type of engineering! However,
most glamorous type of
guarantee that when the tap is turned the water services engineers are in the
gushes out. These, just a small number of examples privileged and highly important
engineering! However,
of our everyday triumphs, remain largely undetected position of being able to directly
service engineers are in the
or are simply taken for granted. affect the lives and comfort of
Surely the introduction of sewers and treatment millions of people wherever
privileged and important
works with their positive impact on sanitation has they are; whether that is a house,
position of being able to
done the most to prevent disease and improve the classroom, office, hospital,
health of modern man? However, once again, we factory, sports complex, theatre
directly affect the
remain almost anonymous. or shop. And how many other
lives of millions
From my personal experience, people can be jobs involve practical, logical
genuinely interested in building services and about thinking, analytical, creative
its contribution to the built environment. While and communication skills? Do we really want to deny
conducting walking tours around London for the future generations the opportunity to be involved with
general public, where my colleagues and I described such a varied and rewarding industry just because we
the services strategies for iconic places such as the find it difficult to communicate what we are about?
Lloyds Building, I was pleasantly surprised by the There are certainly no overnight solutions, or
curiosity of the attendees. The tours quickly turned perhaps even definitive ones, to the difficulty of
from programmed two-hour events to three or more improving our status as services engineers or
hours due to the sheer number of questions from the encouraging people to join our industry. But at least,
public who clearly wanted to know more. As a result as engineers, we are armed with one momentous
I cannot help but conclude that it is not that people advantage, when have we ever shied away from
are uninterested in what we do, it is that they do not solving a problem? l
yet know that they are interested.
It must therefore be the duty of every one of us in the
Morwenna Wilson has been part of Arup’s multi-disciplinary
profession to reach out to people, not only to obtain the
building engineering team since graduation. She is the current
recognition we all deserve, but to strengthen the future
holder of the CIBSE/ASHRAE Graduate of the Year Award and
a member of the CIBSE Young Engineers’ Network.
of our industry by encouraging new recruits. I believe
24 CIBSE Journal February 2009 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEfeb09pp24 Opinion Wilson•.indd 24 5/2/09 16:03:26
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