Dear Member

Welcome to EngFlash, a monthly e-mail news bulletin from Engineers Australia, Victoria Division. Detailed below is information about the latest news effecting engineers today along with Engineers Australia's current programs, initiatives and events.

Engineering Careers Expo - A Huge Success

Engineers Australia, Victoria Division hosted the Engineering Careers Expo 2006 on Thursday April 13th at the ANZ Pavilion, Arts Centre Melbourne, 3-8pm.

It was anticipated that this event would attract up to 300 registrations. Surprisingly, more than 2000 undergraduate, postgraduate, TAFE, secondary students, parents etc attended the event.

More than 35 exhibitors set up stalls at the expo which provided career path resources and employment information to attendees. Attendees participated in 8 free seminars during the event that offered information covering various industry sectors and topics of interest.

Attendees had their resume checked over by a professional, networked with colleagues, peers and prospective employers as well as accessed professional recruitment advice. Attendees also had the opportunity to “Talk to an Engineer” throughout the night. a panel of four engineers were available for questions.

Feedback from exhibitor’s included:

"Thanks for a great fair. It surpassed my expectations, that's for sure. We
will definitely be involved again next year."
Kerrin Hosking, URS Australia P/L

"Personally I thought it was one of the best expos I've participated in. Catering, layout, venue, everything, full marks!"
Sayaka, Faculty of Engineering, University of Melbourne

"I found the event to be excellent. I feel that it was well worthwhile attending and the number of people attending was excellent in itself. A great effort by your good self and the staff concerned. I look forward to receive information regarding next years event, please put BHI down as an attendee."
Craig Brittle, Box Hill Institute of TAFE

"Thank-you for organising a great expo, I definitely think Gippsland Water will be attending again next year."
Kelly Rendell, Gippsland Water

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Engineering Leadership Conference 2006

Engineers Australia, Victoria Division in conjunction with the Centre for Engineering Leadership and Management (CELM) is hosting the National Engineering Leadership Conference in Melbourne on Thursday 24 August to Friday 25 August 2006.

The Conference is expected to attract 200+ industry and government leaders, academics, members and community representatives to actively explore the role and complexity of leadership within the engineering profession and its surrounding environments.

Confirmed speakers to date include General Peter Cosgrove; Paul Dougas, Sinclair Knight Merz; Ken Mathers, SEITA and Jannie van Deventer, University of Melbourne.

More information can be found at: www.engineeringleadershipconf.org.au Registrations for the conference will open in May.

For general queries relating to the conference, please contact Belinda Tompkins, Engineers Australia on 9321 1712 or btompkins@engineersaustralia.org.au

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Free Activities, Behind the Scene Site Visits, Inspiring Seminars, Networking Opportunities and Student Events

A wide range of activities will be available during National Engineering Week 2006 that will demonstrate how various engineers and engineering technologists devote themselves to paving the way to a better future both locally and around the world.

The activities will be hosted in conjunction with Engineers Australia’s Board of Engineering affiliates which will assist Engineers Australia in ensuring that activities represent the plethora of engineering disciplines.

The 2006 campaign hopes to offer the Victorian Community over 100 events that may attract more than 6000 people.

The 2006 Engineering Event calendar hopes to offer activities in a wide range of traditional and non traditional engineering disciplines that will demonstrate the contributions by Victorian engineers make for a better future.

If you have any great ideas for National Engineering Week Activities, please email them to Erica Marinis at emarinis@engineersaustralia.org.au or phone 9321 1716.

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The Engineering Employment Handbook 2006 was launched on the night of the expo by Ann Barker MP Parliamentary Secretary for Training and Higher Education, stating in her speech “ Victoria faces significant challenges in the years ahead. Challenges such as an ageing population, increased global competition, skills shortages and falling participation rates. We can turn those challenges into opportunities if we invest in our people. It’s something the Bracks Government recognised when the Premier recently launched the $241 million Skills Statement– called Maintaining Our Advantage: Skilled Victorians. So why become an Engineer? Victoria has serious shortages in a number of key engineering sectors. And as our economy becomes more focused on knowledge-based services and the development of new technologies, we’re going to need engineers in even greater numbers in the future.”

Ann Barker MP later thanked exhibitors for participating in the expo and in the Handbook and acknowledges Engineering Australia as "one of our great professional organisations with nearly nine decades promoting engineering and the professional interests of engineers here in Victoria.”

The Handbook contains information from over 70 organisations that are offering the opportunity to appraise prospective staff for engineering appointments throughout 2006 -2007. In addition, valuable career advice and general information is presented to assist in job search.

The handbook, exclusive to members of Engineers Australia, is a free comprehensive resource to assist members in their search for vocational, graduate or professional employment opportunities. Members may access the Handbook via Members Zone.

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The raison d’etre for CELM is that very few engineers work purely as engineers. The USA experience is that four years after engineers graduate they move into some form of management, generally Project Management. A significant proportion of MBA students in Australian Business Schools are engineers, who do the course to prepare themselves for management and leadership, either within Engineering, or to broaden their prospects.

Managerial jobs increasingly involve the management of business change and, relatedly, people issues. This can militate against an engineer’s chance of succeeding to the top positions if they only possess, or focus on, analytical approaches and data management. Management roles are increasingly less to do with formulaic knowledge and more to do with leadership principles and application capability.

Looking at Public Australian companies, while engineers fill many executive and operational roles, how many have engineers on the boards of directors? The answer is very few. How many engineers are public figures? Again, relatively few.

Recent research has shown that many Australian managers think that their boss is incompetent and clueless. In just three years, the managers’ ranking for chief executive competence and understanding of the business has dived. If leadership starts at the top, then it is no wonder that there may be a paucity of it in Australian organisations.

The intent of CELM is to assist with the above issues by promoting a broader education of younger engineers and those moving towards leadership/management positions.

• Vic CELM offers quarterly presentations by successful business leaders to provide insight into leadership and management for engineers. Admission is free and they include topics like Culture Change, Leadership Styles, Differences between Leaders & Managers, Leaders of the Future, Personality Types, Executive Coaching, Effective Teams and Psychometric testing.

• Vic CELM is also piloting an offer of mentoring and coaching for prospective leaders and managers. If you are interested in mentoring an engineer, please contact viccelm@engineersaustralia.org.au or Tim Steinborner at tim.steinborner@powerinfluence.com.au

• On August 23 rd to 25 th, 2006 at the Crown Paladium in Melbourne, CELM with the Victorian Division of EA, will host a National CELM Conference, where engineers, managers and business leaders, both current and future can receive current information and experiences from high profile business leaders who also have the skills to share what they have learned.

Stay tuned for more information in future editions.

Authors – William Ferme MBA MSc CEng FIMechE

CELM Victorian Chapter Committee Member

- Tim Steinborner FIEAust CPEng CELM Victorian Chapter Chair

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2006 Young Professional Engineer Award &
2006 Young Engineering Associate Award

The 2006 Young Professional Engineer Award and the 2006 Young Engineering Associate Award, presented by Engineers Australia, Victoria Division, acknowledge and reward young professional engineers and young engineering associates who have reached a significant level of achievement and involvement in engineering and community affairs.

STATE WINNER: $3,000

HIGHLY COMMENDED: $1,500

For more information contact: Laine Brideson,

Telephone 03 9321 1718 Email lbrideson@engineersaustralia.org.au

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Thinking of investing in Agri-business products? Not sure where to start? These FREE seminars will help you to understand how to research Agri-business products, explain the tax advantages, give you an educational insight into various products available and help you to save money with a rebate of 8% on your investments.

 Wednesday, 3rd May 2006

6:00pm – 7:30pm
Engineering House, 21 Bedford Street, North Melbourne
Presenters: 2020 DIRECTINVEST, ITC - Integrated Tree Cropping, Rewards Group - TEAK and SANDALWOOD BioEnergy Australia/BioForestry

and

Thursday, 4th May 2006

6:00pm – 7:30pm
Engineering House, 21 Bedford Street, North Melbourne
Presenters: 2020 DIRECTINVEST, QPFL - Queensland Paulownia Forestry Limited, Premium Plantations Great Southern Plantations

For further information or if you would like to attend please contact Laine Brideson, 9321 1718 or lbrideson@engineersaustralia.org.au

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John & Yvonne Almgren - TSA Innovation Encouragement Award

$10,000 prize for innovation in the telecommunications industry

The grantee of the award must have played the leading, hands-on role in the invention and development of the innovation - though there will only be one prize, consideration will be given to Corporate as well as ‘Back Shed’ Entrepreneurs.Start-up companies.

Nomination forms can be applied for by email to tsa@tsa.org.au

Nominations close 3 May 2006

Criteria

The work that the Award recognises shall –

• be in the field of telecommunications or a closely related field
• demonstrate a high level of innovation and ingenuity
• be of clear market value
• be of significant immediate or potential
• impact for the industry in Australia
• be of a kind to support a continuing high global reputation of Australian Telecommunications.

In assessing the relative merits of short-listed nominations, the Panel shall assess-

• The novelty of the idea(s) associated with the innovation
• the values illustrated by the innovation
• how value was created
• how well value was created and will be sustained
• where the value was created (that is, in what market)

Conditions

1. The award shall be made to an individual not to a corporation or other legal entity

2. The individual must be a permanent resident of Australia or an Australian citizen

3. The individual shall not be disqualified because the work that is being recognised occurred in the course of employment for another

 Telecommunication Society of Australia Ltd ABN 85 050 134 622
PO Box 4050 MM, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001
tsa@tsa.org.au
03 9639 0906 http://www.tsa.org.au

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Environmental Event For Melbourne

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We Need You! Volunteer as a Team Supervisor for the“2006 Science and Engineering Challenge”

In 2006, Engineers Australia, Victoria Division in conjunction with Victoria University brings the Science and Engineering Challenge to Melbourne in collaboration with the University of Newcastle.

The Challenge will run on the 23 –25 May at VUT Werribee TAFE Campus "Building and Construction Building.

Engineers Australia, Victoria Division is in search of members that that would like to offer one day of their time to assist students in competing in a range of fun-filled activities based on the principles of engineering, science and mathematics.

Volunteers will be partnered and act as team supervisor for a team of students for one or two days- dependant upon your availability.

The Challenge is a free inspirational outreach program for year 9 and 10 students. Over the course of a day, teams of students from 8 secondary schools will compete in hands-on activities that will provide students with a perspective on a career in science, engineering and technology that they may not have previously appreciated.

Prizes are awarded each day to all participating schools and to the winning school. The program has received awards for excellence from the Institute of Physics and Engineers Australia, having been designed and proven in NSW by the University of Newcastle.

Registrations Close April 3 2006

Should you wish to register your interest or require additional information please call Erica Marinis on (03) 9321 1716, 0421 050 984 or email emarinis@engineersasutralia.org.au

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DIA has received funding from Sustainability Victoria for the award of series of small grants with the aim of extending existing design briefs or developing new briefs, to include environmental considerations where they would otherwise have not been included.

The purpose of the grants is to resource design professionals to integrate DfE strategies into the design brief and to demonstrate to the decision makers the potential for inclusion of environmental considerations. Successful entrants could utilise the grant monies for example to engage an expert to work with them or to attend a workshop on DfE.

For more information please click here