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Following CIBSE's first ever virtual Young Engineer Awards on the 8th October, I sat down with Ewen Rose, the Chair of the awards, Jennifer Cox, the 25th CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year and Megan Whitbread, CIBSE'S first ever Apprentice of the Year.
Swegon have been proudly sponsoring the Young Engineer awards for over 10 years. The awards are a great initiative that champions the young talent within our industry, and will help encourage a new generation of Building Services engineers to take us forward in the future.
The Webinar was an opportunity for the panelists to discuss a range of topics such as the impact of Covid-19 on the building services industry, diversifying the workforce, and how engineering has changed over the years.
Jennifer Cox, ASHRAE Graduate of the Year was drawn to the construction industry when she realised how building services interacted with every part of her life. Whilst she ruled out Architecture, as she didn't feel creative enough; she found a home in engineering where she was able to combine her passion for design and all things technical.
Similarly, Megan Whitbread, who is CIBSE's first ever Apprentice of the Year, enjoyed problem solving from when she was a young child, but her interest was really sparked when she completed a project in 6th form, as part of her engineering A-Level. She has now completed her Level 3 apprenticeship with Troup Bywaters + Anders, and is working towards graduating next year in her Level 6 at Southbank University.
The well overdue introduction of the Apprentice of the Year award goes to show the changing shape of the industry, as not all young engineers embarking on their career go through the traditional route of University, as wider options to study and practice are now becoming available.
Ewen Rose, who has chaired the awards since its inception in 1996 has a different background for entering into the industry, as he previously studied in journalism and found himself naturally falling into engineering journalism. He is passionate about the value engineers provide to society, especially in the building services industry - ensuring that we are able to ensure the health, wellbeing and comfort of those using buildings.
The awards are an opportunity to give a platform to Young Engineers within the industry, to show off their skills, as well as showcasing supportive employers who specialise in engineering. Ewen Rose says that chairing the Young Engineer awards is one of the most rewarding things he has been able to do throughout his career.
With two female award winners, conversation around diversifying the industry was a common theme, and emphasis was put on the importance of encouraging more women into a very male dominated field; where only 12% of engineers globally are women.
Both Megan and Jennifer noted that they are surrounded by talented women in their respective companies, and Jennifer herself is STEM ambassador, encouraging girls in schools to consider engineering as a career route. The conversation also led to the importance of engineering when it comes to sustainability, as well as health and wellbeing, and how important the comfort of people in everyday life is.
Entries for 2021 open in the spring. If you're a Young Engineer, or know any one who is, head over to CIBSE's website to find our how you can enter the 2021 CIBSE Young Engineer Awards.
You can listen to the #WeChampion webinar with Ewen, Megan and Jennifer here.
