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Speak Out for Engineering (SOfE) is an annual competition which encourages young mechanical engineers with a passion for a subject, invention, system or project, to present their case in a bid to become the champion. This year’s final was held in June at the University of Strathclyde.
According to the competition’s guidelines, competitors must give a presentation on a subject relating to mechanical engineering, which should not exceed 20 minutes, with a 10 minute period afterwards for discussion and questions. Presentations are given in front of engineering peers and a panel of experienced judges. SOfE hopefuls should be either an Affiliate or Associate Member, or should be professionally registered for under ten years.
The 2014 competition champion was Neil Harrison, who works for BAE Systems Maritime – Naval Ships. Neil graduated five years ago. He has recently taken up his first management post, and is looking to become chartered in the near future.
He explained his passion for the subject that he presented in the SOfE final:
“Engineering Product Maturity is a vital pillar in the transformation of our engineering business. It enables our large engineering teams to collaborate on the management of uncertainty and reliably deliver the diverse technical outcomes required in a ship design project. It was a pleasure to talk on the topic at the Speak Out for Engineering competition; too good an opportunity to miss to spread the word about a concept that must take flight in UK engineering, if we are to maintain a position of global importance in solving cutting-edge complex technology problems.”
Neil added that he greatly enjoyed taking part, and that the competition gave him the development opportunities that he was personally seeking:
“I was delighted to be chosen as the Scottish Regional winner in 2014. I believe strongly in the power of speaking and spreading success stories. These can act as a catalyst for improving the public perception of engineering and cross-pollinating ideas.”
The competition is an excellent opportunity to practise key skills such as communication and presentation abilities. Effective communication is vital in the everyday working life of an engineer and an ability to demonstrate such skills is a key asset to every employer.
Heats were held in Inverness and Aberdeen during the Spring. The Glasgow area heat was held in March. As Andrew McBride, Glasgow YMP Chair, said,
“Our annual heat was a great success again this year. We had a total of eight applicants and so first we had to narrow it down to the best four before the event itself, something we had never had to do before. The standard was high as always and we had four great presentations on topics including: Trans Atmospheric Vehicles, BMFA Model Aircrafts, Offshore Oil & Gas Production and Engineering a Gold Medal. The event was kindly sponsored by FMC Technologies and Glasgow Caledonian University who provided us with prize money and location respectively. Our heat winner was Gavin Shuttleworth, who went on to compete in the final.”
Andrew Dobson was a judge at the Aberdeen competition, representing the Aberdeen Area Committee. He said:
“This was the first time I had attended Speak Out for Engineering. I was really impressed by the quality of the presentations, the range of topics chosen by the speakers, the technical content and the organisation of the event by the Aberdeen Young Members. There were five excellent speakers, ably presenting on very diverse topics. We had Non-Linear Finite Element, 3-D Printing, the mathematics of the Rubik’s Cube, Lateral Buckling of Subsea Pipelines and Turning Motorsport Green.”
He added: “Each speaker had an extremely good grasp of their subject. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Next time, I very much hope the audience will grow, so that many more young people will experience the quality of ideas and the presentation skills of their peers. I am sure that Aberdeen Area Committee will be delighted to help support future SOfE events.”
Andrew McBride said that, having attended the Glasgow heats for a few years, this was the first time he had been involved in the Scottish Regional Final.
“The attendance of the Glasgow and SW Scotland Senior Panel, as well as a healthy number of local young members, helped make up a knowledgeable and interested audience. With presentations on engineering product maturity and the importance of engineering within sport, the contestants had no trouble keeping our attention. Both competitors gave fantastic presentations on the night!”
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