Provincial Engineering & Geoscience Week

It���s time to celebrate the work of our engineers W I N N I P E G F R E E P R E S S A S a l u t e t o P r o f e ss i o n a l E n g i n e e r s & G e o s c i e n t i s t s ! | 5 By David Schmeichel For the Free Press For centuries, they���ve been the unsung architects of civilized society ��� the (largely) behind-the-scenes figures who design our buildings, roadways and mechanical systems while harnessing the power of nature, electricity and other modern technologies. And given everything they do to ensure our lives runs smoothly, you���d think the accomplishments of engineers and geoscientists would by now warrant them rock-star status. But with a projected shortage of engineers on the horizon, it���s important that prospective students remain well informed about the range of world-bettering opportunities that await them in the field. Hence the need for events like Provincial Engineering and Geoscience Week, hosted by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba (APEGM) from March 4-10 at Kildonan Place. The event, held in conjunction with National Engineering Month activities taking place throughout Canada in March, aims to promote engineering as a viable career path, celebrate the accomplishments of Manitobans in the field and draw attention to the vital role played by both engineering and geoscience in the lives of all residents. ���I���ve always really liked helping people and solving problems.��And now every day I make people���s lives easier through process improvement or by taking a design and making it reality,��� said Dawn Nedohin-Macek, president of APEGM and a computer engineer at Manitoba Hydro. ���Our slogan (at APEGM) is, ���My life���s work makes life work better.������ The event uses informational booths and interactive demonstrations to put a human face on the different disciplines of engineering ��� from the electrical engineers who map out transmission lines and substations to the civil and structural engineers who design roadways, bridges and drainage systems; from mechanical engineers who maintain regular airflow in buildings to geologists who tell mining companies where to drill core samples. By far the most popular event of the week is the Spaghetti Bridge Building Competition, in which teams of students vie for a $2,000 prize by constructing a bridge made up of only dried spaghetti and white glue. The bridges are then tested for strength (or as Nedohin-Macek puts it, ���smashed up���); once the cumulative weight is tallied, APEGM makes a matching donation of dried pasta to Winnipeg Harvest. In past years, winning bridges have held close to 800 pounds ��� and last year���s entries held a combined weight of just under 11,700 pounds ��� proving the initiative makes good use of students��� creativity and problemsolving skills, while giving them a practical application for the skills they���re studying in math and sciences courses at school. ���These students would already be talking about physics and shapes, or the relative strength of shapes,��� said Nedohin-Macek. ���So they would use those kinds of skills to say, ���How can I incorporate those shapes into my bridge to give it more strength, while working within the limits of the spaghetti I���ve got?������ The contest ��� much like the science fairs and other outreach events APEGM takes part in throughout the year ��� appeals to students who are interested in learning more about their environment, and who have an aptitude for technical work and problem solving. A strong base in math, chemistry and physics is advised, as well as an interest in work that has a positive impact on people���s lives. As Nedohin-Macek points out, engineering is rare among professional vocations in that graduates don���t require a master���s degree before being granted professional designation, but instead can enter the workforce directly after graduating. (After that, they���re required to work four years before undergoing a series of tests to become registered as a professional.) A recent labour market survey by Engineers Canada shows the country will experience a shortage of engineers over the next decade, with employment growth particularly evident west of Quebec. A recession (and subsequent hiring downturn) in the 1980s has resulted in a knowledge gap that now needs to be addressed, one that markets need to address by increasing the number of incoming graduates and appealing to international engineers looking to work in North America. ���We do have a need for an investment in engineers because we are not going to have enough to build what we need to keep our infrastructure going,��� said Nedohin-Macek. ���In fact, in President Obama���s inauguration speech, he mentioned engineers specifically as something we need to cultivate and produce more of.��� For more information on Engineering and Geosciences Week, see apegm.mb.ca. SCIENCE IMAGINATION COLLABORATION THE CORE OF EVERY CUSTOMIZED PROJECT WWW.KGSGROUP.COM WINNIPEG TORONTO THUNDER BAY REGINA

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