Jon has volunteered for the Institution of Mechanical Engineers since 2006, and completed a term as a Trustee. Here, he explains why he volunteered to be a Trustee and found it rewarding.
“Initially, my involvement was perhaps a little selfish (sorry!). I’d recently graduated, and with the ink still wet on the degree certificate, I was being asked to pay, for the first time, my annual subscription! Parting with money focused my thoughts, and I began to question what value I gained from membership. Of course, early on, it’s about getting registered; many volunteer roles will help develop competencies C, D and E of UK-Spec, and allow developing engineers opportunities they may not have at work, running their own budgets and projects, for example.
“Being ‘on the inside’ brings issues facing the profession into sharp focus, such as the sheer numbers of engineers that we’ll need in the future. We need to encourage more schoolchildren to consider an engineering career – that means engaging teachers, inspiring children, and tackling perceived barriers based on gender, ethnicity and background.
“My own organisation, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), like the rest of the nuclear industry, faces difficult resourcing challenges recruiting engineers. ONR's work requires a high level of expertise across a wide range of disciplines, and offers exciting and varied careers, with a strong focus on learning and development. All the technical skills found in any engineering-based industry are found in ONR, as well as reactor physics, radiological protection and other specialised areas.
“To manage the resourcing challenge, we are increasingly using more innovative approaches, and taking steps to ensure the total reward package is engaging and competitive.
“Concurrently, society is increasingly aware that many pressing problems – climate change, energy supply, feeding, housing, transporting a growing population – will be solved through engineering. How should the engineering community respond? Technology continues to develop rapidly, and the edges of traditional disciplines are blurring: what is ‘mechanical engineering’ these days?
“What is the role of a professional institution when everything you could want to know is accessible on a smartphone? Everyone knows that a digital strategy is essential in the modern world, but what should the institution’s look like, and what should it aim to do?
“Engineers solve problems. Probably many of you reading these comments were forming ideas as to how you would tackle them. That urge to ‘fix everything’ led me to the Trustee Board. As the governing body of the Institution, Trustees perform similar roles to company directors: developing the strategic direction of the institution, and setting objectives that drive its activities.
“The Trustee Board offers (and requires) exposure to all aspects of corporate governance and strategy, and engagement with senior engineers, influencers and opinion-formers. The role’s strategic nature requires a broad perspective, looking beyond one’s own industry to develop an appreciation of issues across a wide spectrum of technology, and tempering that thinking with the financial, commercial and corporate concerns common to any modern business.
“In short, Trustees try to solve all those issues facing the engineering community. That strategic exposure helped me to acquire some skills, and develop others, which are directly transferable to the workplace, and hopefully to make a contribution to the institution.”
Volunteering in any capacity is rewarding, allowing members real opportunity to contribute to their profession. Being a Trustee offers the opportunity to contribute strategically, developing and applying leadership competencies that have wide-reaching and long-lasting significance.
Boards benefit from diversity and novel thinking, and Trustees are actively seeking new members to offer fresh perspectives to take the Institution forward.
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