Institution news
In addition to training, resources, inspiration and information to help members fulfil their volunteer roles, the 140 delegates had the opportunity to engage with speakers from the Institution and from third-party organisations including REMAP, Inspiring the Future, Bloodhound, STEMNET, Primary Engineer, Women’s Engineering Society (WES) and Tomorrow’s Engineers.
In addition, a number of Institution members ran sessions to share their experience with fellow volunteers.
The event was attended by President of the Institution, Richard Folkson, who said: “It was marvellous to see both the large number of Young Members attending, and the enthusiasm of all of our volunteers and staff for the work being carried out around the world on behalf of the Institution.”
Among the many workshops held throughout the conference, there were sessions run by the Institution's theme managers, including Philippa Oldham, Head of Transport and Manufacturing.
Philippa said: “The conference enabled me to meet more of the volunteers, informing them of our current activity along with plans for the year ahead. It proved to be a productive session in terms of how we can improve the flow of communication, as well as getting suggestions for topics that could spark debate in 2016 and beyond.”
Delegates were able to choose content from over 30 instructive sessions, from IT to social media; education to problem-solving. These included:
- Exploring the responsibilities of a variety of regional roles, including Treasurer
- Near You Sitefinity training
- Making the most of Regional Newsletters, PR and communications
- How the Areas and Regions can best communicate with UK politicians
- Education initiatives, outreach and how to get involved
- Using social media in innovative ways to improve customer experience
- Inspiring the next generation – from fun educational activities to mentoring
- Demonstration of the new ‘Summon’ library search engine
There were opportunities for people to develop their knowledge of professional registration, such as progressing from Member to Fellow; CPD and forthcoming changes due from the Engineering Council; and one-to-one ‘surgeries’ with Business Development Managers to discuss individual professional registration queries. There were also representatives from Support Network and the Equality and Diversity Steering Group on hand to explain the work of these organisations.
Iman Kouchouk, International Member Development Executive talked through some of the tools, resources and best practice available to the Institution’s growing global network. She was joined by 16 volunteers from countries including Dubai, China, Pakistan and Chile, who had also attended the International Volunteers’ Forum, held the preceding day.
After a long day of workshops, delegates were offered a tour of One Birdcage Walk and of Westminster. A drinks reception and Gala Dinner were held nearby at the prestigious DoubleTree by Hilton.
Information about the 2016 IMechE Volunteer Conference will be available early next year. Please check the Volunteer Resource Centre and email Ambassador@imeche.org if you have any queries.