Exciting EWB pro bono opportunities Thursday, 07 July 2016

Opinion piece by Tim Ha, Engineers Without Borders volunteer

Everyone has faced the question early on in his or her life: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” For engineers, these answers usually span anything from being a rocket scientist to a flying car inventor to Iron Man. What these answers all have in common, however, is that the ambitions that lead to a career in engineering are often rooted in the idea of finding solutions that make a difference: to make the world a better place.

But for many, it often feels like a dichotomy exists between having a successful career and finding time to make a positive impact on the community. What if it was possible to achieve both simultaneously: to not only help companies demonstrate commitment to social outcomes, but to engage employees in building a better culture and attract better talent?

This is where “pro bono” comes in. Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase meaning “for the greater good”. The term usually refers to professional work undertaken without payment or for a reduced fee. In the Australian legal profession, pro bono work is very well established. There are a large range of legal industry partners on board with yearly pro bono targets, facilitated by clearing houses and resource centres. For engineering, on the other hand, progress in this area has not kept pace.

This looks set to change with the launch of EWB Connect. EWB Connect is a platform that connects community organisations with pro bono engineering. The initiative has been created to break down barriers for engineering companies to take on pro bono work by facilitating projects and knowledge sharing within the sector while celebrating successes. Recently, Engineers Without Borders (EWB) secured pro bono engineering work for the Kooma Energy Project with Virgin Blue, leading to the installation of a 9.8kW solar photovoltaic system installed for the community to sustainably meet their energy needs.

EWB Connect was recently launched in Western Australia and included a special guest appearance from EWB Chief Executive Officer Peter Baynard-Smith and Lead Program Manager of EWB Connect Lizzie Brown. The event was a huge success, with over 50 guests attending, many of whom are key decision makers within their firms.

EWB has created value through engineering for over 13 years via partnerships and the development of engineering skills, while making a difference to communities around the world. If you or your organisation are interested in becoming a community or corporate member, or you would like to know more about how pro bono engineering works, please email EWB Connect.

Title image caption: Solar panels at Bendee Downs, Kooma Nation.

Body image caption: EWB CEO Peter Baynard-Smith presents at the launch of EWB Connect in WA.