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EA Matters April 2019 Edition EA Matters April 2019 Edition EA Matters Serving our members and the wider community April 2019 Edition Welcome to EA Matters – a newsletter aimed at keeping our volunteers in touch with EA and your chance to share best practice, lessons learned and ideas on how we can better serve our members and the wider community. Trish White Peter McIntyre National President CEO Welcome to the first edition of EA Matters Our ‘case study’ focus falls on volunteers’ work in this, our centenary year. in Queensland in the wake of recent floods. As we look back with pride to the achievements of our As always, we also share some of EA’s successes profession over the past 100 years, we acknowledge in the media and our public advocacy as the our volunteers for all they have done in the past – voice of the profession with government. and all you continue to do today. Thank you! In this issue, we explore some of the plans for this very special year. Trish White Peter McIntyre [email protected] [email protected] THIS ISSUE Student and World Engineers graduate Highlights of Update from the Convention engagement our advocacy EA Board EA Matters April 2019 Edition Ask EA In each edition of EA Matters engineering workforce planning the Public Affairs team we answer one or two questions in the face of cyclical demand. and Chair of the Transport from Office Bearers. Australia Society, testified We want to collaborate more with before the Australian House Please submit your questions via: local government to understand the of Representatives Standing surveymonkey.com/r/askEA sector’s needs for engineers and Committee on Infrastructure, help to plan ahead. Communities, Transport and Cities’ inquiry particularly regional ones, will not get into automated mass transit. Volunteer question: the infrastructure projects they need, • Position statements such as our I think EA needs to further pursue or pay a higher price for them, if there one on infrastructure here. the infrastructure needs of the are not enough skilled engineers. • Development of rigorous country, particularly those relating The challenge in regional Australia to regional centres and rural. What analysis and our latest example extends beyond upgrading and is available online here. is the Institution’s position on this maintaining existing assets to providing and how does EA promote this? innovative new infrastructure that • Media – you can see examples below. Answer from National President can make cities and towns more Trish White connected, liveable and sustainable. • Submissions to government Engineers should have a key role in inquiries; such as the ones Infrastructure is one of Engineers smart city planning and delivery. you can find here. Australia’s three public policy and advocacy priorities, along with energy Our public policy team has and the role of technology and recently formed an infrastructure industry in a changing global economy. advisory panel (drawn from various infrastructure-related colleges and technical societies) to inform “With infrastructure, its advocacy work, and a new our overarching message position statement that outlines to governments is the key issues for 2019 and beyond is under development. that stable long-term Your comments have been forwarded planning informed by to the advisor managing this work. engineers is essential. ” Engineers Australia promotes its positions via: We recognise the importance of infrastructure to regional communities, • Providing evidence to and have an interest in facilitating the parliamentary committees and inquiries. For example, economic development of regions on 15 February, EA, through through infrastructure planning and 2 EA Matters April 2019 Edition Case study: Prepared for publicity, strategic in engagement Contrary to the saying, not all publicity there was no criticism of engineers. For is good publicity. Sometimes it this reason, we stuck to our decision not pays to be strategic in the way we to proactively initiate media contact. choose to enter, or not enter, topical As the voice of the profession, Engineers debates – while being prepared in Australia seeks out strategically case the media approaches. The attractive media opportunities – and Ross River floods in Queensland responds to inquiries, including through earlier this year are a case in point. a Media Manager who is on call 24-7. Working together, EA staff and We attract regular mainstream broadcast members with relevant expertise and newspaper coverage, as summarised quickly created a set of talking points in each edition of this newsletter to address potential queries. If you don’t see our comments on a However, EA decided only to engage in situation where you might expect public debate if it turned on questions to, don’t leap to conclusions – and of engineering, or if the actions of call your division manager to find engineers were called into question. out what’s going on. Remember Why? To do otherwise would run only authorised spokespeople the risk of unnecessarily directing can speak on behalf of EA. public debate towards the adequacy, or otherwise, of engineering when that was not the real issue. While comments were made about the administrative management of the dam, Images: ABC News 3 EA Matters April 2019 Edition Update from the Engineers Australia Board The seven-member EA Board makes a valuable contribution in terms of leadership and oversight across a wide range of strategic, operational and financial areas. Where does the Board meet? • Financial oversight, including of the first Board Meeting of the approving budgets year on 1 March in Sydney. The The Board meets regularly in locations strategy day included issues such as: around Australia. Board meetings • Work Health & Safety oversight generally run for about eight hours, • Property and investments • How to improve member and the Directors often attend • Key performance indicators and customer experience divisional events when they are “in • Member and customer research • Potential opportunities to town” – enabling them to stay in touch offer a greater range of with volunteers and issues in different What role does the Board play? membership options areas (but making for very long days). The Board improves strategy to ensure • Typical points of need/ Approximately twice a year, that EA continually provides better want in engineers’ careers they also set aside full days to value to its members, and maintains its and how we can help discuss and agree on strategy. relevance to industry and the broader • The future of CPD community. It also ensures that EA Between Board meetings, • How EA will need to has strategies in place ensure that Directors spend a lot of time in change in future the voice of the profession is heard Board committees, workshops through our advocacy and media work. These discussions will continue over and volunteer events. coming months, with opportunities It oversees the current performance How often do the Board meet? for volunteers to contribute. and financial sustainability of EA The Board will meet eight times in while understanding emerging trends 2019 – exceeding the minimum of five in the profession so that EA can Items on the agenda at the meetings required under our by-laws. be positioned to respond and to subsequent board meeting included: lead the debate as appropriate. The What do the Board talk about? • Half year financial results Board also appoints and monitors • Professional Conduct Board discussions include: the performance of the CEO. Committee Annual Report • Strategy (corporate, or specific What’s been on the agenda lately? • Centenary – update on strategies, e.g. membership, STEM) The EA Board and executive planned activities • Pricing of membership leadership team came together • Advocating for engineers • Audit and risk management recently to discuss strategy, ahead 4 EA Matters April 2019 Edition In the spotlight Student and graduate engagement Several initiatives have been Superhero videos take off Engineering summer school success successfully launched recently as part The first in a series ofnew videos to The 20th annual Honeywell of our strategic focus on engaging make young engineers feel proud and Engineering Summer School was the engineers of the future. These inspired to be part of EA’s Frontier held in December. The week-long include a targeted jobs board, videos community for students and graduates residential school provided 100 showcasing young engineers, O week has been viewed almost 500,000 times students from NSW & ACT, who sit university engagement and more. on Facebook in less than two weeks. final exams later this year, a better Early career jobs board up and understanding of what engineering The Frontier-branded videos showcase running is, how it works in everyday life and early career engineers who are “quietly the career opportunities available. EA’s jobs board gives graduate and changing the world” – and pay homage After attending, 80% said they would student members access to internship to popular superhero movies. and graduate positions – and a “absolutely” be applying to study place where our members can post The first video features mechanical engineering! Engineers Australia engineering job advertisements free engineer Darren Lomman, who staff and volunteers collaborate of charge. The board has been created founded Greenbatch, an organisation with ‘engineering’ universities and in partnership with Grad Australia which turns plastic waste into 3D participating Rotary clubs to
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