YOUNG ENGINEERS’ DEBATE INDUSTRY BODIES
Jairo Jaramillo and David Fisk
up pressure on young engineers and the panellists were concerned this was making them obsessive about career choices. ‘Society puts pressure on you to have a plan,’ said Jaramillo. ‘Why does the industry expect me to know what I will be doing next year once I am in the workplace? It is clear where I am going as a student, but there is no structured path once you move into employment.’ Bruce Arnold, chairman of the IMechE’s construction and building services division, said engineering careers often just evolve from things you get interested in or by following ‘the path of least resistance’. ‘Very few engineers have a great plan,’ he said. Mentoring schemes are popular, but
This is a profession; we are not nursemaids. To expect that somebody will hold your hand until you are 40 is not a good place to be – Stephen Matthews
cautioned against institutions falling into the trap of tokenism. ‘They should be involved in our activities because they are good – not because they are young,’ he said. ‘Napoleon was only 27 when he invaded Russia, but putting a 27-year-old in a uniform doesn’t make them Napoleon.’
The forgotten middle Panellists said there was a danger of losing ‘the people in the middle’ if institutions are focused too much on young engineers. Wilson said that the fi rst fi ve or six years were relatively straightforward, as there were paths to follow through education and then chartership. ‘After that you can begin to feel a bit lost.’ Malynn suggested that the professional
bodies could defi ne career paths on behalf of employers, so young engineers would know what to expect at each stage of their development. She said this was where institutions could be most infl uential, as they have the status to put an overall structure in place that all employers would respect. The global economic situation is building
CIBSE president David Fisk added that it was not right for everyone. ‘Sometimes it is just good to chat,’ he said. ‘We won’t make a decision for you, but we have been there so can give you confi dence that you are making the right choice. ‘There is a role for the old fart in the corner
who can point out that something has been tried before and why it didn’t work.’ IMechE engineering director Colin Brown
said the role of an institution was to provide ‘leadership’. ‘The institutions can give young engineers the chance to meet top people and talk to them.’ Shilston added that all the organisations provided great opportunities and support, but needed to advertise them. In the end, it is up to young engineers to
• The debate was part of the CIBSE Young Engineers’ Awards 2012. See page 9 and 12
decide whether they want to be involved in institution work and they have to make their own career choices, according to CIBSE chief executive Stephen Matthews. ‘There comes a point when you have to take away the safety harness and let individuals take responsibility. This is a profession; we are not nursemaids – there are hard choices to be made. To expect that somebody will hold your hand until you are 40 is not a good place to be.’ CJ
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CIBSE Journal November 2012
www.cibsejournal.com
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