The inspiring year of Young Member Visionary 2012 Peter Bonnington

Honoured to be named as the Institution’s 2012 Young Member of the Year, Peter Bonnington writes about the engineering events and opportunities that have made his role so special.

Peter says he was surprised to be named as one of the Visionaries last year, but saw the award as a huge opportunity to develop his understanding of engineering: “I think I speak for all volunteers when I say that a little bit of recognition can go a long way and this award gave me a real shot in the arm.”

“The greatest benefits came from the times I spent with the Institution’s Presidents, firstly Isobel Pollock and latterly Patrick Kniveton. The chance to discuss engineering, the Institution and their backgrounds has proved highly valuable mentoring already; those conversations and continuing relationships are something that I feel privileged to have.”

During the year, Peter had the opportunity to accompany Isobel Pollock on two Presidential visits. In November 2012, they visited the East Midlands, touring Triumph in Hinckley and the Brush Academy in Loughborough, before attending the region’s annual dinner in Derby. Peter recalls that Triumph’s highly flexible manufacturing lines left a lasting impression, as did the quality and professionalism of the apprentices at the Brush Academy.

The second Presidential visit was to Huddersfield in March 2013. Peter explains: “The first stop was VTL Precision where the company’s concentration on developing its existing capabilities – whilst investing in process development – had enabled it to grow turnover ten-fold in a decade: a real display of what a focused business vision can achieve in a short amount of time. Then we went to Score Europe, whose dedication to employee training was really inspiring. A visit to the newly opened Kirklees College, a purpose designed engineering college co-located with industry, came before an evening tour of Huddersfield University’s new 3M Buckley Innovation Centre. Both facilities were hugely impressive, showing commitment to delivering highly skilled apprentices and supporting SMEs respectively.”

It has been a busy year. In addition to industry and training centre visits, Peter has enjoyed taking part in many events in the Institution’s calendar, including presenting ‘Engineering Your Future’ in March, a busy and productive day during which GCSE students were supported in making informed education decisions; and a quirky legacy: “I now feature, albeit in animated form, in a video produced by the Institution entitled ‘Engineering – What’s Your Path?’ aimed at students aged between eight and 13.

Peter concludes his recollections of the year: “Between my one-to-one meetings with the Presidents, the two Presidential visits, and the excellent ‘Essential Management Skills for Engineers’ course that I was privileged to attend as part of the award, I have taken a lot of inspiration and new understanding that I hope to put to good use in my continuing career in engineering. I am also very happy to say that this year I am starting my Engineering Doctorate, supported by my employer, Delphi Diesel Systems.”

“None of the achievements that I was recognised for with this award were solo activities, so I am keen to continue to put my energy into supporting and developing the membership. In May 2013 I was elected as Vice Chairman of the Young Members Board, taking a place on the Institution’s Council. I look forward to delivering some exciting objectives over my two-year tenure.”