Monday, 27 October 2008

Good Advice on 'Stuff You Don't Learn in Engineering School'

I recently read a book by Carl Selinger called "Stuff You Don’t Learn in Engineering School: Skills for Success in the Real World." Selinger, an American Society of Civil Engineers member, wrote the book in 2004. In his preface he indicates that he has written the book to "give young engineers a practical down-to-earth guide to the real world they are in, a very different place than the strenuous boot camp engineering school."

Selinger organizes the book well, identifying at the onset some critical skills that engineers need, primarily writing, speaking and listening. He provides some good basic down-to-earth examples of how to be a better writer. These include using clear, simple language, minimizing the use of acronyms, reading more, having peers review your writing, and a device that I sometimes use, just pretend you are talking to someone and write that. Selinger drives home the point by quoting an engineering manager from DMJM Harris: "Writing and public speaking are the two most important soft skills that engineers need to succeed in the field today."

Selinger's other chapters focus on decision making, feedback, priority setting, running effective meetings, teamwork, negotiations, creativity, developing leadership skills, dealing with stress, and one that I find to be very important, ethics in the workplace. He includes as an appendix a survey of various managers on non-technical skills, various concerns with the real world and other issues. The book also includes a list of professional engineering societies, emphasizing the importance of such associations in career development and providing solid reasons for membership.

"Stuff You Don't Learn in Engineering School" is a fairly quick read, one that I recommend to all engineers, both young and old. You can read some excerpts here at the publisher's Web site.

Posted by David at 10:30 AM in Professional Development

Monday, 20 October 2008

Bus Rapid Transit -- Improving Mobility at Lower Cost

During our recent visit to South Africa, we had the chance to review a host of infrastructure projects in anticipation of the 2010 World Cup soccer championship that will be held there. Much of this work related to improved roadways and intersections. Regarding mass transit, the entire country has embraced bus rapid transit (BRT) as the solution to their transit deficiencies. They anticipate that BRT will have a significant effect on South Africa's urban landscape long after the games have ceased.

But what is bus rapid transit? The National Bus Rapid Transit Institute at the University of South Florida defines it as an "innovative high capacity lower cost public transit solution that can significantly improve urban mobility."  Twenty years ago, Pittsburgh began planning a bus rapid transit facility, but it has not received widespread use in the United States. Countries in South America and Latin America use bus rapid transit as the major means for their mobility. Other countries such as Australia and Nigeria have implemented BRT systems. China is also launching 13 bus rapid transit systems. Baltimore is considering it as one of the alternatives to their east/west Redline.

In South Africa, the chairman of their parliament's transportation committee recognizes that BRT is not a silver bullet, but does have many advantages. He believes that it shares roughly the same efficiencies as urban rail at a fraction of the cost. Johannesburg and Cape Town in particular are planning extensive systems, 122km and 38km respectively. Other towns such as Port Elizabeth and Durban are planning less ambitious routes.

Hopefully, South Africa's ambitious effort will provide an excellent example of the use of BRT that will inspire its use elsewhere.

Posted by David at 10:30 AM in Transportation

Monday, 13 October 2008

Science-Education Commitment Also Seen in S. Africa

While in South Africa, we visited many construction sites and spoke with many engineers and public officials. The most enjoyable and rewarding visit was to a rural science center in Richards Bay, a new town developed over the past two to three decades to take advantage of the significant mineral deposits in the region and an excellent natural port. It is a site of the world's largest coal export terminal, a major aluminum manufacturer and a number of ore facilities, including Richards Bay Minerals that produce slag and other materials. It has a significant rural population made up of many impoverished families.

Created 10 years ago, the science center has grown from its lone founder to a staff of 20 and has increased their space tenfold. The purpose of the science center, which is entirely privately financed, is to introduce students to science, math and technology. Without this center, these students would not have exposure to these areas. Many of their homes do not have electricity and none have computers. Nor do many of the schools have electricity or computers. As such, this is their first introduction to information technology. The center serves more than 30,000 visitors and reaches another 70,000 students with its own science bus. They conduct a bridge-building contest out of materials similar to balsa wood and have a water distribution challenge. Local engineers from time to time serve as mentors at the facility. They also conduct training for schoolteachers to help them understand the relevancy of science and math.

A particular interesting program that they use is the Technology Research Activity Center, called TRAC South Africa for short. It is a national non-profit program, the objective of which is to support physical science, mathematics, and technology education in South African secondary schools. The program focuses on providing information technology-based equipment, computer and sensory devices supported by curriculum-relevant worksheets to enhance and simplify the execution and understanding of the practical components of the physical science curriculum. 

TRAC programs are running in more than 20 locations throughout South Africa.  In addition to the science- and math-based activities, the program provides information on what an engineer and engineering technicians do, plus offers guidance material for students' secondary education. It focuses on all facets on engineering, from civil to environmental, geology, metallurgy, agricultural, biomedical and many others. It is through these efforts and those of other science centers throughout South Africa that the long process of building a science, technology, engineering and math-literate citizenry has begun.

 

Posted by David at 10:30 AM in Global Issues

Monday, 6 October 2008

South African Engineers Offer Own 'Report Card'

They say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. If that is the case, ASCE has been flattered by the South African Institution of Civil Engineers. On my recent visit to South Africa, they presented a copy of their Infrastructure Report Card for 2006. Clearly, they had sought the advice of our Government Relations staff in the preparation of their Report Card. The small handout follows very closely ASCE's presentation. They identified nine broad areas to be rated. One that they had that ASCE doesn't is hospitals and clinics.

In addition to the small handout, SAICE developed a 16-page 8½" x 11" booklet that explains in depth their Report Card, which deals with the "built environment infrastructure, buildings and engineering infrastructure that are part of the nation's capital stock." They go on to state that the infrastructure is a public asset and that all South Africans have a stake in its upkeep and operation and all share in the expense of its construction and maintenance.

SAICE gave an overall grade of D+ to their built environment infrastructure, primarily because of poor and/or lack of maintenance. They state the government should not changes its focus on new infrastructure, but the challenge is to do this and at the same time maintain both the old and new, and upgrade and replace that which is overloaded or has become obsolete. They further state that a well maintained infrastructure underpins the quality of life and economic development.

Their report's commentary also addresses a severe shortage of engineering skills in South Africa. They point out an interesting statistic about the number of people per engineer. In China, there are 130 people per engineer; in the United Kingdom it's 311; in Germany, 217; in Australia, 455; and in the United States, we have one engineer for every 389 people. However, South Africa has only one engineer for every 3,166 people. Clearly, without the engineering skills and resources, maintaining their infrastructure will continue to pose a major challenge.
Posted by David at 2:30 PM in Global Issues