Nominations open for Sydney Engineering Individual Excellence Awards

Engineers Australia is calling for nominations for its Sydney Engineering Individual Excellence Awards. The awards celebrate professional engineers, entrepreneurs, young professional engineers, engineering associates and engineering technologists, while recognising the impacts these leaders have on the community.

Standards Australia CEO Dr Bronwyn Evans, who won the title of Professional Engineer of the Year 2013, believes the awards go a long way to recognise successful engineering feats as well as inspirational engineers on their path to becoming important community leaders.

“The need for inspirational leadership has always existed, but what has changed with time is the scrutiny of what makes a good leader,” said Dr Evans. “For the engineering industry today, it is clear that while strong technical leadership is highly valued and respected, it needs to be coupled with good communication skills, political and financial acumen, and the ability to bring out the best in everyone in the organisation and, further, the community. The excellence awards highlight this ultimate combination of skills.”

Engineers Australia Sydney Division General Manager Stephen Finlay has witnessed how feats of engineering have challenged the status quo and prompted engineers to take a leadership role.

“As society comes to value leadership in a new light, engineers are being recognised for the key leadership qualities they espouse - strategic thinking, knowledge of technologies and team approaches,” Finlay said. “These key traits held by engineers and leaders alike are completely intertwined and thus our program of recognising individual engineering excellence also actively highlights leaders across the industry.”

Nominations for the 2014 Sydney Individual Engineering Excellence Individuals Awards can be submitted at www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sydeea. Entries close on 5 June and winners will be announced on 19 September.