Bridging the Gap: The Development of Young Structural Engineers

IStructE Young Members Queensland:

Trent Byrne – WSP Parsons BrinckerhoffToby Hodsdon – Bligh TannerTess Linger – ArupSusanna Wills – MPN ConsultingLauren Best – JacobsLiam Sherman – Bligh Tanner

A little about the presenter:

Graduated from the University of Queensland in 2013 with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering

Participated in the IStructE YMQ committee since 2014 and is the Secretary for 2016.

Structural Design Engineer for WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Enjoys all aspects of engineering consultancy, from early structural scheming to inspecting the construction.

Career goal is to be involved in the design of an iconic tall building.

Currently working towards achieving chartered status.

In a nutshell…

As students leave the structured, academic environment of university and enter the

demanding construction industry as a Structural Engineer, they are faced with an

initial steep learning curve that will shape and span their entire career.

There is a need for a comprehensive, structured training and development pathway,

for both hard and soft skills, for the continual progression of young engineers and the

wider Structural Engineering profession.

Introduction:

What it takes to be a Structural Engineer

General Vs Specific Degrees

Technical and soft skill training

The role of the IStructE Young Members Queensland Group

Current graduate reflection

Common views and opinions of Senior Engineers

What it takes to be a Structural Engineering Graduate:

Scheme design using Structural Engineering principles

Determining appropriate load paths

Critical thinking

Engineering judgement

Safety in design

Project planning

Management

Understanding of contracts

Client service

Communication

Pride and quality in work produced

General Vs Specific Degrees:

‘Jack of all trades, yet a master of none’

Appreciation of all engineering disciplines, architects, contractors and project stakeholders

Real world design experience essential

Internal Training:

Predominantly by larger companies

Graduate programs

Benefits both the company and the graduate

Skills acquired often can assist in the Chartership journey

External Training:

Training events provided by industry organisations

For example: EA, IStructE, CIA, ASI

May be perceived as expensive to employers

Potential for more training opportunities to be targeted towards less experienced engineers

Post-Graduate Short Courses:

Requires collaboration between industry and universities

Prestressed Concrete short course by Dr Peter Dux

Project Management short course at the Queensland University of Technology

Potential for a future consortium of engineering companies and universities

Online Learning Tools:

IStructE’s Structural Behaviour Course

A B

C D

Personal Study:

Learning shouldn’t start at 9am and finish at 5pm

‘The day you stop learning, should be the day you retire’

IStructE’s ‘The Structural Engineer’ magazine is a great way to keep up to date with the Structural Engineering profession

The Role of the IStructE Young Members Queensland:

IStructE YMQ is a committee of graduates and students set up to promote Structural Engineering and membership of the IStructE

By running a variety of interesting, relevant learning and networking events

Panel events, site visits, technical seminars and networking events

IStructE YMQ initiative of holding Chartership exam preparation courses in 2017

Anecdotal Review:

By Liam Sherman, a Graduate Structural Engineer…

University to workplace transition can be daunting

Learning curve and challenges faced beneficial in long run

Technical v soft skills development process

External Training provide alternate learning paths – i.e. seminars

Importance of Senior Engineers – small things make the big

difference early on

Chartership pathways giving structure to learning

Common Views and Opinions of Senior Structural Engineers:

Embracing technology and automation of calculations

Chartership is very important

Senior Engineers simply giving their time to aid in the development of Graduate Engineers

Conclusion:

Continual formalised training and self improvement is essential

Greater connection between academia and industry required

The future of Structural Engineering will be best served with a concerted effort to mentor, train and support young Structural Engineers.

Acknowledgement:

I would like to thank all co-authors for their tremendous effort:

Toby Hodsdon, Tess Linger, Susanna Wills, Lauren Best & Liam Sherman

Any Questions?

Thank you for your time