ROUNDTABLE ENGINEERING PROFESSION
has the time to devote to committees and activities. Also, younger engineers are not necessarily attracted by the idea of travelling long distances to sit round committee tables. ‘Inviting young people to join a committee is not always the answer,’ said Ford. ‘We should set up discussions about a topic that is across the whole discipline and capture their interest that way. ‘Let’s get real debate going and let them
argue, bring out differences of opinion among the group – not confine them to engaging with traditional structures.’ The best platform for that kind of debate
would be social media, and professional bodies could help by facilitating the networks for their young members,
according to several of the speakers. ‘I don’t think we should get into quotas,’
said Pearson. ‘Artificially changing the mix to include more young engineers won’t work. This is not purely about age – but it is all about attitude. Some people cram a lot more into their early years than others. ‘We need new ways of thinking to tackle
the issues of today, like water shortages and population growth.’ The possibility of seeing older, retired
engineers as leaders of the future was also discussed. They have useful experience and have more freedom to contribute. But this could only be a partial answer;
the crucial issue was getting more participation on industry decision-making panels, standard writing bodies and the like, from a greater proportion of young
What they said...
If we are taking up all the seats at the top
table and in committees, we are not leaving space for new, fresh ideas and the exuberance of youth
We need to make a better
job of professional development. That is where we can make a difference by helping newer engineers develop and learn from our experience
Young engineers need to see some
advantage to them or their company – if you don’t give them that you lose them. And once they are gone, it is hard to get them back
It is uncomfortable for us to hand over
the leadership roles we spent so long working for. We resent it and feel uncomfortable, but we have to be prepared to take a risk
Young engineers expect to
communicate across national and professional boundaries. They don’t operate in the same silos we are used to, and the power structures are not reflecting that expectation
www.cibsejournal.com
November 2011 CIBSE Journal
25
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