Ahead of Automotive Technicians’ Professional Development, we spoke to presenters Mark Munday, Technical Director at First UK Bus, and David Irving, Group Chief Engineer at Tata Motors about the importance of young engineers and technicians, and what attendees will take away from the event.
Mark Munday is the Technical Director for First Bus, leading the technical and engineering requirements across FirstGroup’s UK Bus Division. He has extensive experience across operational engineering, vehicle and system development, logistics and engineering training, delivering change and continuous improvement, to meet customer needs. Other roles include Board Member of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership and Chair of the Engineering Committee of the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK. A Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution, he is an assessor and also sits on the Institution’s Transport Theme Steering Committee.
David Irving is Group Chief Engineer responsible for body, closures, trim, cockpit, seating and lighting engineering at Tata Motors European Technical Centre. He has 23 years' automotive experience in manufacturing and product development working for Sommer Allibert, Simula ASD, Lear Corporation, Bentley Motors and for the last ten years Tata Motors at their European Technical Centre in the UK.
He has worked on numerous vehicles ranging from Tata Nano to Bentley Flying Spur, specializing on interior trim in his early career then leading multi-disciplinary engineering teams in later years.
Q: How important are technicians, apprentices and young engineers in your company and the UK industry as a whole?
Mark Munday: Our technicians, apprentices and young engineers are fundamental and a key part of our current and future success. Our new generation of engineers are increasingly important as we embrace and exploit the opportunities in the increasing complexity of technologies.
David Irving: New technicians, apprentices and young engineers are extremely important as they are the future of automotive engineering.
Q: What do technicians, apprentices and young engineers bring to the engineering team in the automotive industries?
MM: Certification provides a benchmark to ensure the best professional standards and application of engineering rigour, to drive excellence. Our ‘up and coming’ generations of engineers bring fresh ideas and new approaches to tackling the challenges we face.
DI: Future technicians, engineers and managers. Enthusiasm, new skills and a thirst to learn then apply what they learn in different ways.
Q: What will they learn and gain from attending the Automotive Technicians' Professional Development Forum?
MM: The event provides a unique opportunity to learn from successful leaders and practitioners with a wealth of experience, share best practice and network across a broad range of colleagues. This provides a platform for continuous professional development to assist in meeting ambitions.
DI: They will see presentations from experienced specialists on existing and new technologies. This would help them in deciding which career path to follow.
Q: Please briefly explain the opportunities for career and self-development through the Institution.
MM: There are a broad range of both formal and informal opportunities for self-development through the IMechE, particularly through meeting and establishing networking with a broad range of colleagues to share ideas and best practice.
DI: Technicians could follow a practical route through experience to advance their careers to engineers/managers. Alternatively through further learning they could follow a route through degree/masters/PhD to advance their careers.
Mark and David will both be speaking at Automotive Technicians’ Professional Development, taking place 20–21 October in Coventry. This must-attend event for technicians, apprentices and young engineers will provide a unique opportunity to learn from real life experiences, invaluable lessons and guidance from senior industry experts who have experienced climbing the career ladder and prospered across different automotive disciplines.
Key topics include:
- Keynote address from the President and CEO of Aston Martin
- Overview from Tata Motors on how skillsets are changing, the influence technicians have on engineering and the increasing importance of the role
- Experience and insights for measuring risk, progressing your career and the route taken at Preston Buses to build a business in excess of £100m in assets and £50m per annum
- Latest technology, future challenges being faced by technicians and their impacts on the industry with Ricardo
- Legal responsibilities, enhancing customer service and relations, and improving business performance, delivery and uptime, with Backhouse Jones, Reading Buses and First Bus UK
- Attend unique technical visits of the Dennis Eagle and Prodrive sites in Warwick
For further information, please visit the Automotive Technicians' Professional Development event page.