ENGINEERS OF
THE FUTURE
IN THE EVOLVING INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING SPACE, BEING PART OF A COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY HAS NEVER BEEN MORE COMPELLING. ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE SPEAKS TO ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
“A
ll development is based around engineering, so I think we have a crucial role in making sure that we develop solutions and designs with sustainability at the forefront,” says Alexandra Radulovich, geotechnical engineer at Douglas and Partners. As an Engineers Australia member, Ms. Radulovich believes engineers have an important role to shape the infrastructure of the future. To do this, engineers need to build a strong network and keep pace with the latest industry developments. “Engineers Australia reminds me that I need to move forward with continuing professional development and be informed about what is going on in the wider world of engineering,” she says.
Bronwyn Evans, CEO of Engineers Australia, says the organisation places great importance on member networking.
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As a member of the Engineers Australia Women in Engineering Committee, she says it has been valuable to network with likeminded people and give back to the engineering community. “One of my main goals outside of my immediate career is to get more women into engineering. Without Engineers Australia, that goal is a lot harder to achieve because we have their support with all committee events,” Ms. Radulovich says. “In the past couple of years, I have started going to a lot of Engineers Australia networking events because that is increasingly becoming an important part of my career.” Bronwyn Evans, CEO of Engineers Australia, says the organisation places great importance on members networking through the community. “The purpose of Engineers Australia is to advance the science and practice of engineering for the benefit of the community and we really do that by making sure we support our engineers to be the best possible,” she says “When you think about any professional development schemes, learning on the job is an important part, learning from others through your network is another, and then formal professional development type programs are also crucial.” Engineers Australia supports this development journey throughout each engineer’s career as they learn and grow with the industry. “A student engineer can get access to mentoring, job boards and other experienced engineers. Mid-career engineers can build their credentials and recognition as a chartered engineer. Then for more senior engineers, we look at how to shape the
profession, the broader economy and the community’s understanding of engineering,” Ms. Evans says. There are over 100,000 Engineers Australia members across the country and each of the nine divisions has specialised committees. The Women in Engineering committee that Ms. Radulovich is involved with is one example. These committees set up events tailored to each community. Ms. Evans says while visiting the Engineers Australia Tasmanian branch last year she noticed they were closely aligned with the Tasmanian Government’s infrastructure strategy. “The group was providing input directly to government, not just shaping their own careers but shaping their communities,” Ms. Evans says. Aside from supporting engineers personally, Engineers Australia works to better the wider industry through advocacy and consultation with government and industry authorities.
Engineers Australia works to support industry events through its committees.
