June 2015 Young Member Newsletter

A message from Peter Bonnington, incoming Chair of the Young Members Board 

May is a time for change in the Institution, with the handover to a new President alongside changes to anumber of elected position. This includes the Executive team (exec) of the Young Members Board where the biennial elections took place for the roles of Chair, Deputy Chair and Vice Chairs alongside the annual election for Trustee Board Representative (TB rep).

Once again the elections were very closely run, with a total of 9 YMB members running for the 5 exec positions - a testament to the strength and the enthusiasm of the YMB. I am pleased to say that alongside myself as Chair, Marcus Nichols (Deputy), Hannah Latham (Vice), Delali Dei (Vice) and Gavin Kerby (TB rep) form your new executive team. Congratulations to all involved. Please read on for introductions from the new exec.

The unfortunate reality of the elections is such that we now also say a fond farewell to others who have put so much into the YMB over the years with both Ruth Shilston and Ally Choat now stepping down from their positions. On behalf of the whole YMB I thank them for all they have done over the years to help us achieve what we have. The new exec hopes that we can build on their legacy. On a more personal note, I'd like to thank them both for the time we have spent working together; it's been a pleasure and I look forward to working with them again in the future, outside of the YMB. 

As you can see from the rest of the content of the newsletter, the new exec come into power at a very busy time for the YMB, with many of this years objectives in full swing, including the Global Engineering Debate. There is also much to celebrate with fantastic events being organised by YMs regionally in the UK, in the technical divisions and internationally. If you would like to get more involved with some of these events, please read on for opportunities to volunteer at both Formula Student and the Home Automation Challenge.

Here's to the next two years!

Peter Bonnington, YMB Chair, Biography

I have been volunteering with the Institution for over 7 years, being involved with area panels and young member panels before joining the YMB as Representative for Education in 2012. I was elected as Vice Chair of the YMB in 2013 where I continued to hold a seat on the Education Advisory Group alongside my role on the Institution's Council as a member of the YMB exec.

 

For the past few years, my tag line has been 'informed decisions'. I know why I studied engineering; why I remain in engineering; why I'm a member; why I volunteer; why I know we can improve the world through engineering; but I know that is not necessarily true for many young people, developing engineers and members of the public. I believe a lot of what we can do as volunteers, as Young Members, is to help people make those informed decisions. 

 

When not engineering or volunteering, I am a keen cyclist & snowboarder. I also enjoy learning languages, exploring new places and enjoying the food & culture on offer. 

 

Marcus Nicholls,  YMB Deputy Chair

I have actively volunteered for the Institution for the last four years, having served as International Strategy Board Young Member Representative since 2011. I was elected as Vice Chair of the Young Members Board in 2013 and Deputy Chair in 2015.  During this time I have sought to improve the communication and cooperation between the Young Member Board and our International Representatives. I am keen to see our Young Members lead the way in delivering events and competitions accessible to all our members irrespective of where in the world they may be.

Outside of engineering I enjoy travelling, climbing, hiking, photography and food and do my best to enjoy combinations of these on trips around Europe and further afield. 

Hannah Latham - YMB Vice Chair 

I started volunteering with my local area young members panel (Derby-Notts) about five years ago while I was working towards my Engineering Chartership. It seemed like a great way to meet people, to show “commitment to the profession” (for chartership) and to give something back. After a couple of years organising events, visits and socials I started to wonder what other IMechE young members panels did and whether they had good ideas we could use. After reading around on the IMechE website I found the “Young Members Board (YMB)” which looked at young member interests on a national level. It sounded really interesting and I noticed our region didn’t have a rep. When I emailed to ask why we didn’t I got a reply back which read “thanks for volunteering!” and so that was how I ended up on the YMB.

Since then I’ve been involved in lots of different things from taking part in brainstorming type debates at YMB meetings to helping work on the strategic projects that the YMB does. One of the nice things about the YMB is that it can be a great platform for sharing ideas and being able to champion your passions so in my case I’ve been able to take some of the ideas I’ve had on topics that really interest me and see them go somewhere. Having been on the YMB now for a few years I decided that I could give more by standing for the Executive Team in order to help others get the things they are passionate about to go somewhere. Outside of work I love pretty much anything that involves making something, baking something or being in the great outdoors.   

Delali Dei - YMB Vice Chair 

I have been volunteering with the Institution for over 5 years, having started as a student ambassador. After graduation, I rejuvenated the Sussex & Surrey Young Members Panel and was elected as chairman. As chairman of the panel, I organised educational events for the young members, such as trips to CERN and Big Ben. I also represented the South East region on the Young Member Board.

I will support the chairperson and the rest of the executive team to achieve the strategic objectives of the Institution through the strategy points the Young Member Board has agreed. Having delivered three events in the Global Engineering Debate series, I feel we are off to a great start with delivering our strategic objectives related to joint working with other professional engineering institutions and growing our international membership, and I would like to build on the momentum we have generated over the last year to achieve even greater feats.

Outside the engineering world, I spend a lot of my time cycling; I took part in the last two ‘Ride London-Surrey 100’ events and will also be cycling in the 2015 event, raising money for Macmillan cancer support. I have also been known to enjoy a spot of salsa dancing.

 Gavin Kerby - Trustee Board rep

I have previously undertaken an Advanced Apprenticeship gaining a B-Tec National Diploma, Higher National Certificate and a Foundation Degree, all part-time day release courses. The challenge of ‘earning and learning’ has been extremely beneficial, giving me a great mix of practical and academic knowledge.

I joined IMechE as an Engineering Technician in 2011 and was awarded as EngTech Visionary in 2012. Since then I have volunteered in a variety of different roles at Area, Regional and HQ level. In October 2013 I was honoured to be nominated and approved as an Ordinary Member on the Institution’s Council – the first Engineering Technician to be appointed a seat.

For the past 12 months I’ve been the Young Member Representative on Trustee Board. My focus during this period is Young Members, EngTech’s and alternative routes to Higher Education.

My main hobbies and interests are related to aviation and engineering. I’m a qualified Private Pilot and look to progress to take my night rating in the near future. I’m also a Gliding Instructor, having completing over 1,200 flights. I have a passion for manufacturing and engineering which is prevalent in all my activities.

Read the full profiles for the executive team on the Young Members Board page. 

Formula Student 2015 

Do you have videography experience? Are you a social media expert? Are you a supporter of Formula Student? Do you fancy having a go at interviewing people? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, please do consider volunteering with the YMB at FS this year

The YMB have a long-standing commitment to supporting Formula Student, one of the Institution's flagship events. Over the past few years, we have provided volunteers to assist in delivering events running in parallel to the main show, ranging from affiliate/associate engagement days, to last year's 'Big Bang @ Formula Student' event. This year is no different and once again we are looking for a team of volunteers to attend.

 

This year, we are proposing doing something a little different. The event itself brings young members, both in the form of students competing and alumni judging/representing their employer/visiting, from around the world. Much is made of the competition itself, with the design, performance, business and technical highlights captured and shared widely, but the YMB feel there is a great opportunity to engage more with the Young Members present and highlight some of their stories in order to help others make informed decisions.

As such, we are proposing to do some videography on site, talking with various team members, visitors & volunteers over the weekend, about how they came to be at Formula Student, where they are going with their careers and what they have taken from the experience. We are looking for volunteers to assist us in doing so.

The event will be taking place from the 9th to the 12th of July, at Silverstone in the UK. If you are available to volunteer on any of those days, or are interested in finding out more, please email the YMB Chair. 

 

Young Member of the Year Awards 2015 

Do you know a young member who volunteers in their spare time with or on behalf of the IMechE or who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to their profession?

June sees the launch of the annual Young Member of the Year Awards. The awards seeks to recognise the outstanding contributions made by Young Members to the Institution and the wider Engineering Profession. The awards are a great way to reward volunteer members and promising engineers and say thank you.

This year we will be awarding five categories:

• Raising the Profile of Engineering
• Inspiring the Next Generation
• Engineering Innovation
• Learning and Development
• Young Member Visionary

The overall award 'Young Member of the Year' is presented to the member whose nomination proves they demonstrate excellence in all areas of their volunteer role and will be given the recognition of being the Institution’s ‘Young Member Visionary’.

Prizes for the Young Member Visionary include, among other things, tickets to the Essential Management Skills Conference. See the Young Member of the Year webpage for further details of prizes. 

Nomination Process

Individuals can be nominated for one or more of the above categories by filling in the application form. The online form will go live on Friday 5 June 2015.

Young Members from across the Institution are eligible for the awards. Nominations will be accepted from an associate, colleague or fellow volunteer of the nominated candidate. A Young Member is also able to nominate themselves, but must have the support of an associate, colleague or fellow volunteer.

Closing date for all submissions is Friday 31 July 2015. Late submissions will not be considered.

For queries about the awards, contact Seyi Falusi or call +44 (0)20 7973 1252.

Global Engineering Debate – May 2015 Update

Following the successful trial events, one in the UK and the other in Hong Kong, the grand launch of the Global Engineering Debate took place at One Birdcage Walk in April, an opportunity for Young Members to debate the topic of energy.

The debate was chaired by Ruth Shilston, Chair of the Young Members Board (YMB) and introduced by Marcus Nicholls, vice-chair, YMB. Three young engineers presented and discussed the merits of nuclear, fossil fuels and intermittent renewables.

Read the full article in Institution News.

What has been fascinating is that the debates have had the power to change minds. For the London debate two votes were conducted, before and after the debate. After receiving the highest vote of the three energy sources at the start of the evening, support for nuclear more than halved, while fossil fuels doubled its vote. However, it was intermittent renewables which increased its standing by 9% that convinced nearly half of the audience that this energy source should be the one for the largest share of UK investment, in order to reach its 2050 targets.

Vote – pre-debate:

Nuclear                                     48%
Intermittent renewables              38%
Fossil Fuels                              14%

 

Vote – post-debate:

Nuclear                                      22%
Intermittent renewables               47%  
Fossil Fuels                               31%         

The members of Global Engineering Debate organising committee; Gareth Pemberton, Director of Innovation at Gas Control Equipment; Harley Slaven, Manufacturing Engineer at Rolls Royce; George Vitchev, Project manager at Renaissance Finance International; and Robert Carr Manufacturing Engineer at Oxford Instruments, have seen great improvements in our personal and professional development through our work on these debates. If you are a young enthusiastic engineer and would like to join the organising committee please email the GED team. 

 

 

STEM Evaluation Tool Success

Just over a year ago we featured a short section on a novel method for evaluating the performance of STEM outreach activities that was being developed by the institution.

Over the past year we have worked with a number of organisations ranging from Bloodhound to the

Arkwright Scholarships Trust and students from Primary school to A level (and even some parents!). Having just passed the 10,000 students surveyed milestone we thought it would be the perfect time for a project update.

The original concept for the evaluation model called for a process that would be quick and easy for participants to engage with, ideally taking under one minute. We all know that nobody enjoys completing feedback forms! It was quickly realised that a single method of collecting the data wouldn’t be appropriate for the massive variety of events and age ranges. Typically, our STEM volunteers were quick to develop several innovative solutions such as a radar graph dartboard with coloured stickers or having students move around the class room to indicate their preference. This is a great example of how the experiences of our volunteers on the ground can be fed back and incorporated into an initiative.

The evaluation model has continued to be developed and now incorporates data scaling factors to enable a quick and simple comparison of results. The characteristic shapes produced in radar graph format allow users to assess performance in three key areas; Enjoyment, New Information and Transformative Thinking. Using this format it is easy to identify how well an event has been received by different audiences and more effectively target activities for maximum impact. The analysis method has proven very robust and it is quickly becoming the recommended method for reporting participant feedback.

Anyone who would like more information or wants to make use of the evaluation tool at their next STEM outreach event should contact Christian Young, the education representative on the YMB, who will be happy to help.

Railway Division Young Engineer’s Presentation Competition

On 11th May, the IMechE Railway Division held the final of the Young Engineer’s Presentation Competition following Regional heats in the RD Scottish, North East, North West, Midlands, South East and South West Centres.

Seven young engineers competed for the first prize of £1000 and two runner up prizes of £250 each. Entrants had just eight minutes to impress and convey each of their fascinating chosen subjects. The presentations were:

•  Couplers and braking systems of class 57 rescue locomotives by Andrew Briddon
•  Using driving technique data to save energy by Robert Ellis
•  An index to measure infrastructure reliability by Christopher Fachie
•  Intelligent edges for underground train doors by Tara Parandeh
•  Finite element analysis of cast manganese crossings by Hannah Perrson
•  Critical rail temperatures by Phillip Singleton
•  3D printers for rapid prototyping by James Skitt

The audience were able to ask questions after each presentation which were equally well handled by each presenter. The judges had a difficult time, as always, picking the winner and two runners up

Two runner-up prizes were awarded to Rob Ellis and James Skitt. Tara Parendeh was awarded the £1000 after her very in-depth presentation on the development of a novel anti-dragging system at London Underground. It has since been learned that she is a finalist of the Sustainability and Innovation category of the everywoman Transport and Logistics awards, the results of which will be found out on the 3rd June. Good luck Tara!

The presentation competition was a great success, and though not all competitors were awarded prizes, they all provided the audience with great talks and new knowledge. Look out for details of next year’s presentation where it could be you winning the £1000 grand prize.

Home automation challenge – apprentice competition

Teams of apprentices will design and manufacture a product to make a job in the home or garden easier, whilst developing their engineering skills.

All designed products will be exhibited under one roof and judges will have the difficult task of selecting a winner.

The challenge will take place on Friday 26 June 2015 The NEC, Birmingham, from 9:30am - 4pm. Registration is free and open to members and non-members. Follow the link to reserve your place.You will receive an email confirmation with joining instructions once you have registered. 

 

• Attend to see the many products our teams have created - and be inspired
• Network with industry colleagues throughout the day and make new business contacts
• Support your colleagues and apprentices

If you have any queries or you would like to be involved through volunteering or judging on the day, please email Home Automation Challenge team.

Competitions

Give your career a helping-hand! The Tribology Bronze Medal 2015

Deadline: 24 July 2015

If you are just embarking in your career in tribology, winning the bronze medal will definitely give you a slick start! For more information on the competition and how to apply, take a look at the Tribology Bronze medal page. 

Calling all innovative thinkers - Whittle Reactionaries Prize 2015

Deadline: 20 July 2015

Whittle was innovative; the objective of the prize is to stimulate and encourage those in the early stages of their engineering career to continue to apply innovative and forward-looking thinking to aerospace propulsion problems. For further details on how you can apply please see the Whittle Reactionaries Prize page. 

South Wales YM have launched a 3D Design and Printing Challenge.

Deadline: 2 October 2015

The challenge is to produce a design that solves a problem which you face either at home, at work or in leisure activities, that previously you haven’t been able to solve but with the help of 3D printing you could resolve. We want entrants to be as creative as possible, taking inspiration from all around them and enjoy the designing process. 

The winners will be chosen by the IMechE South Wales Young Members and will have their designs 3D printed and presented at an IMechE South Wales Young Members Lecture Event in November 2015.

Find out about the competition on the South Wales NearYou page.