| Media
Release
Latest
News | Archives
Engineering Grads Key to NZ’s Future success
says incoming IPENZ president
Monday, 11 April 2005
Across the country there are increasing calls for more power, roads,
and improved buildings, but without more engineering graduates coming
up through the ranks, New Zealand’s existing infrastructure will
continue to suffer, says incoming Institution of Professional engineers
(IPENZ) president, Roly Frost.
Roly, General Manager of civil engineering at Beca Infrastructure Ltd
has been elected president of IPENZ for a one year term.
His focus will be on sustaining and developing the engineering profession
by promoting tertiary education in engineering as a career option, seeking
wider involvement of the younger engineers in IPENZ, and continuing to
promote engineers as leaders.
“Essential in keeping New Zealand’s future economy buoyant
depends on students keeping their options opens at school, said Roly.
To this aim IPENZ has met the challenge head-on with the Futurintech programme.
“Futureintech is a government funded IPENZ initiative to support
technology teaching in schools. Currently there are six full-time facilitators
based in Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago, who engage industry
support and work with teachers, careers advisors, students and their caregivers
on the importance of drawing students into engineering, technology and
science as future career choices,” said Roly.
However, Roly’s ultimate aim as President of IPENZ is to encourage
engineering graduates to become practicing engineers, supported by ongoing
professional development.
“I believe a tertiary education in engineering is an important career
option. For engineers the current situation is good news. The demand for
engineers exceeds supply and recent salary data shows technical salaries
rising faster than other professions with graduates having several offers
of employment,” he said.
”I propose to build upon the ‘Engineers as Leaders’
theme that my predecessor, Ian Parton began in 2004, but emphasise engineers
who have succeeded in international technical expertise as well as those
who have done well in business.
The aim is to show that engineers can, and do, accomplish in many fields,
and a technical background is a competitive advantage,” he said.
IPENZ believes in continuing professional development, Engineers have
definite skills advantage beyond design. In general we are good at understanding
risk, analysing data, logic, and decision making.
This is a good skill set and can set us apart from other professions.
To proceed beyond the competent practitioner level we can further develop
these with our design skills or add compensating business skills.
“IPENZ has been working with industry to have greater investment
in engineering graduate training and development through its IPENZ Endorsed
Employer quality mark, where organizations that employ young engineers
support their initial career development.
Also gaining recognition in industry are competence standards of practicing
engineers benchmarked to international best practice. Such as the Chartered
Professional Engineer (CPEng), and Members of IPENZ (MIPENZ).
“This is all good for the future of the profession which in turn
is good for the future of New Zealand’s economy,” said Roly.
ENDS
Background notes:
FROST, Roland Bert (Roly)
BE (Civil), FIPENZ (Business and Civil), CPEng, IntPE. Present Position:
General Manager, Civil Engineering, Beca Infrastructure Ltd (Auckland)
IPENZ Offices held: 2004 Deputy President, 2003 Vice President, 1994-2000
IPENZ Board member; 1990 Chair Waikato-Bay of Plenty Branch; 8 years Committee
member Waikato-Bay of Plenty Branch, Conference Committee member Waikato-Bay
of Plenty Branch; member Transportation Group; member INGENIUM.
For more information contact:
Roly Frost
President IPENZ (April 2005 – March 2006)
IPENZ ENGINEERS NEW ZEALAND
Ph: 027 364088
Back to News and Views
|
