My time as President of Engineers Australia SA Division is coming to an end, and it has been an interesting time.
Within Engineers Australia we have had new regulations, by-law changes at National level, and a new General Manager in South Australia. South Australia and Australia as a whole has seen economic issues and uncertainty affecting many in our profession. Changes in the world economy influence manufacturing, resources, education, and construction – all very important to current and future engineers. To be honest, what will happen tomorrow seems uncertain as well. What seems clear is that the world’s society will continue to change.
In all the uncertainty, the roles of engineers remain steady. We still work to make the world a better place. We still apply the fundamentals of science to design, develop and improve the world around us. We still think like engineers when solving problems and managing businesses. We will still take things apart, mentally or physically, to see how they work and determine ways of improving them. These actions will still be true of engineers in 50 years’ time, though the technology and the procedures will most likely change.
I recently, and finally, submitted the documents to become Chartered. I went through the process because I thought it was the right thing to do however, in so doing, I realised that the process, and the on-going CPD, are incredibly beneficial to being a competent engineer. The ever-changing technology and sometimes-changing procedures that we work with need to be current in our engineering tool-kits. A telecommunications engineer who graduated 20 years ago, but didn’t continue to develop their knowledge isn’t going to be much use today.
I believe the role of Engineers Australia includes helping engineers stay current and competent. How best to facilitate and deliver that knowledge is also changing. As a result, Engineers Australia needs to evolve with the times. This is what has been happening recently, and will continue to happen. I’m glad that it has happened. It may not have been easy for everyone, but it is needed. I recommend that if you wish to influence these changes, then get involved.
My time as President in Engineers Australia SA Division may have been during interesting times, but I’m incredibly glad that I had the opportunity. I would like to thank the 2014 and 2015 SA Division Committees; General Managers Caroline Argent and Renae Leverenz, plus their staff; all the volunteers we have in the Division; and members who gave positive and constructive feedback. Finally, but most importantly, I look forward to handing the reigns to Niki Robinson, who was elected as President of Engineers Australia SA Division for 2016. I’m confident that Niki will be an excellent Division President and look forward to supporting her however I can.
Dr Cristian Birzer MIEAust