MEMBER SERVICES
Inspiring Tomorrow’s Innovators — Today
only 22 per cent expressed a strong interest in pursuing science at a post-secondary level. Students are already excited about science, technology, engineering, and math. Our job is to highlight the opportunities available to them after they graduate from high school, along with how they can turn their interests and hobbies into careers. For those students in post-secondary schools already, we need to remind them that being a successful Professional Engineer or Professional Geoscientist doesn’t just mean getting good grades. It also means:
Do you remember what triggered your decision to become an engineer or geoscientist? Maybe your journey began with a passion for the outdoors that blossomed into a love of all things rock and Earth. Perhaps tinkering with a computer unleased a fascination with electrical and software engineering. Or did the rumble of an engine or the beauty of a great solution always bring a smile to your face? The difference between a good vocation and a great one is passion. It’s with this in mind that APEGA Outreach has renewed its focus and vision. We’re improving the way we connect students across Alberta with exciting careers — ones that are personally rewarding and have local and global impact. Research shows that for today’s students, making a differ- ence is more important than a prestigious title or even a large paycheque. Students seek careers in fulfilling fields they can be passionate about. Many APEGA Members can confirm that making a difference is common in Professional Engineering and Professional Geoscience. Opportunities to improve lives are virtually endless. Students will build a better future for themselves and others when they combine a desire for change with the skills and abilities of engineers and geoscientists, and employ the power of collaboration in diverse teams. That’s why APEGA has begun championing a message of innovation, creativity, and diversity in our outreach initiatives.
• building a better future for everyone • contributing to their communities • furthering the professions
CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION
Professional Members often point out that there is rarely just one way to meet a challenge. Exploring options and considering a variety of perspectives in a collaborative environment is critical to creating something memorable and exciting. And as fulfilling as success is, the journey is equally so. APEGA Outreach is structuring events and initiatives around this concept of collaboration and creativity, knowing that the best engineers and geoscientists will not be those who immediately have what they believe are the right answers. Rather, the best engineers and geoscientists will be those with the skills, abilities, and mindsets to work collaboratively.
THE DISCOVERY PROCESS
Playing video games with friends around the world. Sharing selfies instantly. Using a composite hockey stick for a harder slapshot. In these and thousands of other ways, students’ lives are influenced and enriched by the APEGA professions. After we explain that Professional Engineers helped design Calgary’s iconic Peace Bridge or create the technology to stream songs wirelessly to smartphones, we always get a reaction like this: “Whoa, cool! I had no idea!” These reactions force us to look at what we do. Why didn’t students have an idea? Are there better ways to create awareness of this exciting world? We believe that there are many students out there who are passionate about the fields of engineering and geoscience. Some of them just haven’t realized it yet. A recent study from Let’s Talk Science, a national charitable organization dedicated to youth development, revealed that 72 per cent of Canadian teenagers surveyed think that science is fun. Yet
What do these words and terms have in common? They didn’t exist 20 years ago — and engineering played a role in creating them.
• Internet • Google • Podcast • Hashtag • Tweet • 3D Printing • Self-driving car
• Touch screen • WiFi • Smartphone
• App • GPS • Selfie
FALL 2015 PEG | 85
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker