The IET Young Professionals Community Volunteer Conference is an annual event that brings delegates together from around the world. The conference is held with the following objectives:
- To inform you of the latest developments of the IET
- To provide a forum for you to influence how the IET works for Young Professionals by joining in discussions and idea generation activities
- For delegates to inspire each other by sharing your experiences of best practice
Leading Up To The Conference
I remember when I received the email in November 2019. I was in the office at work and my phone vibrated with the notification that I had received and email. I couldn’t believe it when I saw that I had received an invitation to the conference, and almost didn’t think it was real! I knew this opportunity was too special to let pass by; however, after saying yes, the nerves began to set in. I had never travelled so far by myself before, had never been to India nor have gone through the visa application process before. Luckily, the Young Professionals team were so helpful and provided guidance on this process, and in the end getting a visa was very easy!
There was also a pre-conference activity to bring forward to the discussion of the IET Global Challenge. The questions were:
- What do you think is works/is good about the IET’s Global Challenge?
- What do you think could be improved/changed about the IET’s Global Challenge?
Experiences In Bangalore
I had never been to India before, but knew it has such a rich and vibrant culture. Getting the opportunity to experience Bangalore, the food, culture, and people was an absolutely unforgettable experience.
Arriving at the hotel, we were given a traditional welcome and received gifts from IET India; these gifts were on the theme of sustainability which included: gift bag made from cotton pulp, a Madhubani painting, and wooden elephant keyring. Exploring the city was also amazing, as we were able to see Temples, Bangalore palace, the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, and I even got to try fresh sugar cane water for the first time!
The Conference
The Community Volunteer Conference itself was the next day, and this consisted of:
- A “Rock, Paper, Scissors” Icebreaker, at which I managed to come second in!
- The “Engineer For Good” Challenge: each group we were split into was given a different engineering problem to solve (e.g. lack of access to clean water) we had to present back to all the other groups having answered the following questions:
- What is your problem and for which area of the world?
- What is your solution (e.g. physical task, raising awareness, etc)?
- What is the impact on the community and how are you going to show the impact you’ve made?
- A Q&A session with the Young Professionals Community Committee, where delegates could ask the panel about the YPCC and how it works. We also discussed how the IET operates as a whole and how it works for Young Professionals. This was also a wonderful opportunity to provide feedback on how IET volunteers could be supported.
- This then led to ideas and feedback session for the IET Global Challenge, where changes and improvements were discussed. The pre-conference questions came into play as our feedback for this.
- Gaining insight into how the IET Young Professionals operates and thrives in other continents. We were able to ask the representatives questions and see what kind of events and opportunities they provide to their audiences. We could then take each other’s ideas and implement them into out own Local Young Professionals Networks.
After the conference was an evening reception where there was cultural music and dancing; following this was an inspirational talk from Satyarup Siddhanta, who overcame his asthma to become the youngest mountaineer in the world. He has gained a Guinness World Record for: climbing the 7 Summits and 7 Volcanic Submits in 7 years.
Overall, this conference has been so inspiring, as I had the opportunity to meet and interact with so many different people from around the world. They inspired me to approach the way we do things in the UK differently regarding our YP Networks, and I really feel like this experience has brought a breath of fresh air.
It also inspired my creativity so much as well; creating videos has always been something that I have enjoyed, and I really wanted to capture the memories of where I travel. Which you can view here: https://youtu.be/va4bA726Uxw
Reflections One Year On From The Conference
After one year, I have taken up new roles within the IET. As well as continuing in my role of Publicity Officer for the Coventry and Warwickshire Young Professionals Network, I am now:
- An IET Young Professionals Ambassador
- Webmaster for the Coventry and Warwickshire Network
As an Ambassador, it’s been amazing to interact with the delegates I’ve met from across the globe, as be able to take part in opportunities with them, such as feedback sessions and the “IET YPCVC: One Year On” virtual call coming up later this month. I am very much looking forward to seeing what the future will bring and how we shape the future of the IET Young Professionals together.
This year has really challenge the IET Young Professionals Coventry and Warwickshire Network as COVID-19 has had such a huge impact on our events. Our committee has always held in-person events; we have always loved to hold them in-person so that we can interact with the people who wanted to find more about us and the IET. However, this has also made us reassess the way we look at events and run them in the new virtual frontier.
Aside from adapting, we have also been doing more collaborative events, such as our Halloween Party and Games Night with the Coventry University Women in Engineering Society. It has been a wonderful opportunity to make new friends that share our passions, as well as strengthen our bond with the University more. As we come into the year of the IET celebrating its 150th Birthday, we look forward to organising a very special event with other University connected to the networks we are partnered with.
I would like to thank the IET and the Young Professionals team for this incredible opportunity, and for their wonderful help and support through everything. I look forward to continuing my work with the IET, and to seeing what the future holds.
Thank you very much for reading, and I hope you stay safe during this time.
- Vanessa Stanley
Publicity Officer for the IET Young Professionals Coventry and Warwickshire