ECSA Registration for the Millennial Generation

Transcription

1 SAICE YMP and CESA YPF ECSA Registration for the Millennial Generation 19 July 2017 Viola Milner

2 Objective tonight Improve effectiveness of mentee-mentor relationship towards ECSA Registration 1. Importance of mentors in training & development of candidates, especially in the New ECSA Registration System 2. Outline of the ECSA Registration System, requirements & FAQs 3. Ways/tips to improve mentoring culture in your offices

3 Before I start There is a lot going on Court case with ECSA and Voluntary Associations ECSA s new New Registration System Western Cape Pr Eng interview process halted Washington Accord renewal

4 Before I start With the introduction of our revised registration system, we will not only deliver a more streamlined registration process for applicants, but also eliminate the delays that were previously experienced. This new process which has already been implemented... The key element of this system is the introduction of a virtual panel of assessors, moderators and reviewers who are held accountable through fixed deadlines. The projected turnaround times 2 months. Cyril Gamede Pr. Eng President, ECSA The principles of this presentation are still applicable

5 Millennials or just young adults Generational Differences? These are all characteristics of being young perceptions change with maturity and time.

6 Differing experiences There are generational differences in the way we operate and our views: Interact, communicate Learn, work Technologies Expectations of time /work-life balance Timeframes to learn, gather info, feedback, progress Feel the need for constant progression (very irritating for managers)

7 These different experiences & expectations cause a disconnect between YPs and mentors, A source of disillusionment and frustration on both sides.

8 DISCLAIMER Mentors, Supervisors, Managers & Referees have different roles, but in many cases the same person will perform a number of these roles.

9 Mentoring in the NRS 1. Take responsibility for understanding the NRS & requirements - variety of experience & complexity required, outcomes, responsibility. 2. Quarterly formal engagement (reflect & prepare) 3. Support and use influence to facilitate gain of required exposure/experience move departments, site experience opportunities, exposure to Contracts and financial matters

10 Mentoring in the NRS 4. Reviews & feedback on reports (understand outcomes & requirements) 5. Complete referee report 6. Ensure readiness of candidate

11 NRS vs Legacy System Legacy/ Old Registration system Certain aspects were vague with respect to ECSA s evaluation & review process. Training reports (TERs) one or multiple project, bullet point form acceptable. Engineering Report on one project to demonstrate complex engineering experience & competence. All Pr Eng had interview and presentation on a single project. Civil Pr Eng. applicants required to write 2 essays. Detailed Discipline Specific Guidelines New Registration System (NRS) Evaluation criteria more clearly defined Greater description of the required level of complexity of the engineering problems and work activities at various degrees of responsibility 11 Outcomes are clearly defined at various stages of responsibility and professional development TERs per period which can consist of multiple projects or one project can span more than one period. Content must directly refer to the 11 Outcomes and levels of responsibility. Full sentences and paragraph format required (except for TEO) Organograms required per project discussed Engineering report involves demonstrating that all 11 Outcomes have been achieved (across multiple projects) regarding engineering problems/activities at the required level of complexity and responsibility. Make reference to TERs, CEP, CEA, LoR Civil Pr Eng. no essays! All Pr. Eng candidates still do presentation and interview. Technologists and technicians only do interviews if more information required. The discipline specific guidelines have not yet been updated for the NRS, while still relevant/useful, they make no reference to the outcomes etc.

12 Advantages of the NRS Period required to obtain level of required competence is more clearly defined: Eg - Site work: exposure to H&S, environmental aspect, contracts Either longer time or mentors/supervisors assist with this exposure earlier in process More specific requirements, consistency with evaluation and maintains good standard of industry professionals ECSA evaluators are more confident in their decisions Candidates confidence what is expected, direction, more easily identify gaps/shortcomings and address them.

13 BUT Role of mentors, supervisors & referees assumes a higher importance! Why??? Essays can t be used by reviewers to extract further info

14 Role of Candidate 1. Set goals (towards Pr Reg or other) & keep yourself on track 2. Find a mentor/mentors for aspects of your career & develop the relationships (if not assigned one) 3. Drive it yourself, peer support initiatives 4. Paperwork "People with goals succeed because they know where they're going." Earl Nightingale

15 FOR YOU! INDUSTRY WHY REGISTER Professional registration is required but the Engineering Profession Act (No. 46 of 2000) Professional ethics & industry self-governance Public safety Peer recognition Self-esteem & personal growth Salary increases Marketability

16 COMPANY WHY REGISTER Company s perspective: Commitment & Undertaking (C&U) signed with ECSA Required for bids Required for all projects Provides support, but requires the registration process to be self-driven

17 SIMPLIFYING THE REG PROCESS Application form (2 pgs) Training and Experience Reports (TER) (+/- 10 pages) Summary of Training and Experience Reports (1 page) Engineering Report (+/- 10 pages) Pre-registration CPD-Type Activity Report (+/- 2 pages) Referee Reports Entire Pr submission is 25 pages!! *For technologists limit is 50 pgs

18 CAREER DEVELOPMENT Drive it yourself Use performance reviews and planning tools Tools to track activities, time, responsibilities towards professional registration Identify missing experience

19 Review, evaluate and plan ahead Repeat process every 4-6months

20 SIMPLIFYING THE REG PROCESS * Note that this document is still in the format of the Legacy Registration system (no outcomes) Discipline Specific Document is the most important!

21 HOW TO START??! Find a mentor & peer support Commit Your CV! TER Summary template

22 DETERMINE TER PERIODS Divide your career into logical periods (based on the type of work and level of experience) Responsibilities / job position Type of work / department Company Studies? Periods cannot overlap and must cover all time periods since graduation! Including travels, home responsibilities, unemployed, studying further.. Projects can span across periods or multiple projects in one period/ter Approximately +/- 5 periods in total

23 TER ORGANOGRAM Project Director Project Manager xxxxx Senior Pipeline Engineer xxxx Senior Process Engineer xxxxx Engineer responsible for Reservoirs(& all civil work on site) xxxx Engineer responsible for Pump stations (& all civil work on site) V Milner Pipeline Design team xxxx, V Milner Draughting support Process Design Team for WTW Show your responsibility and the progression of increasing responsibility The person signing your report needs to be shown 2 levels above and below you (as relevant)

24 MATURE CANDIDATES What s the difference between TER and TEO forms (almost identical)? TER is for(<10 yrs experience) Training Experience Outline (TEO) is for candidates with more than 10 years experience (a summary) TEO = Training Experience Outline Bullet points and point form acceptable Multiple TEO s allowed, but max. 12 bullet points per TEO Choose 3 most recent periods to write up as TERs

25 TER

26 Increasing Levels of responsibility Varied work experience (Project lifecycle) 11 OUTCOMES TER Complexity of problems solved Keep all these at hand when writing your TERs

27 11 OUTCOMES I: Engineering Problem Solving (Essential Activities of Professional Engineers) 1) Define, investigate and analyse complex engineering problems. 2) Design and develop solutions to complex engineering problems 3) Comprehend and apply advanced knowledge of the principles underpinning good engineering practice, specialist knowledge and jurisdictional and local knowledge. II: Managing Engineering Activities 4) manage part or all of one or more complex engineering problems 5) Communicate clearly with others in the course of engineering activities III: Taking Account of Impacts and Consequences 6) Recognise and address the reasonably foreseeable social, cultural, environmental effects of complex engineering activities 7) Meet all legal and regulatory requirements and protect the health and safety of persons during complex engineering activities. IV: Exercising Personal Attributes 8) Conduct engineering activities ethically 9) Exercise sound judgement in the course of complex engineering activities 10) Be responsible for decision making on complex engineering activities V: Maintaining and Extending Competence 11) Undertake professional development activities sufficient to maintain and extend the Candidates competence

28 LEVELS OF RESPONSIBILITY Level Nature of Work Responsibility of Candidate Level of Supervisor/ Pr Mentor Support Typical time A. Being Exposed B. Assisting undergoes induction, observes processes, work of competent practitioners. performs specific process under close supervision No responsibility Limited for work output Supervisor/ Pr Mentor explains challenges and forms a solution 6-12 months Supervisor/ Pr mentor coaches and offers feedback C. Participating D. Contributing E. Performing (responsible but not accountable) performs specific processes ass directed with limited supervision performs specific work with detailed approval of work outputs works in teams without supervision, recommends work outputs, responsible but not accountable. Full responsibility for supervised work Full responsibility to supervisor for quality of work Level of responsibility to supervisor is appropriate to a registered person. Supervisor progressively reduces support but monitors outputs Candidate articulates own reasoning and compare it with those of supervisor Candidate takes on problem solving without support, at most limited guidance months 12 months

29 ENGINEERING ACTIVITIES - DEFINITIONS

30 TER

31 TER Source: A Gorgens presentation to CESA YPF 2015

32 TER EXAMPLE

33 TER WRITING TIPS Factual and no waffling! No need to address all outcomes in all periods All your TERs combined must be approx words Write in the first person I did ; I was responsible for Use correct construction language that shows you understand the industry, standards and guidelines, methods, programmes Eg. construction phase, according to SANS 1200, I used Civil 3D to model Bulk Earthworks etc Use diaries, timesheets, close-out reports as records of work Refer to Show limits to your responsibility Show progression of increasing responsibility

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35 ENGINEERING REPORT Technologists and technicians have a more prescribed form of report divided into questions of when each outcome was achieved. Specific notation CEP, CEA, LoR This is where the definition and understanding of complex / broadly-defined engineering problems comes in!! Structure? Either divide into heading of each outcome or divide into the achievements/goals of complex engineering problems in the ECSA document Must cross reference to outcomes and the TERs! Max length 6000 words + 2 pgs of diagrams

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37 SELF EVAULATION Self-evaluation of 200 words on why you think you are sufficiently competent to be Pr Eng 1 sentence for each outcome.

38 CPD LEARNING ACTIVITIES Record ALL continuous learning activities courses, workshops, seminars etc engineering related or not - (finance / engineering / environmental / software / programmes / health & safety) Includes presentations, papers, serving on committees

39 REFEREES Two Referees (Pr Eng) - must have personal knowledge of Candidate s professional performance and engineering experience ECSA-Registered: Professional Engineer or Professional Technologist for Candidate Engineers at least one must be a PrEng Chosen from: Prof. Mentor Immediate supervisor Indirect supervisor Senior Colleague involved with Candidate s work Referees are asked to Rate the Candidate on Competence in each of the 11 Outcomes

40 REFEREE RATING TEMPLATE

41 OTHER QUESTIONS In my field, I don t get site work (or design work), will that affect my registration? YES Site related experience includes: management of materials, programmes, work with contracts, payment certificates, claims, BoQ and measurement, site inspections, quality assurance, etc. These activities demonstrate design capabilities: design of temporary works on site, coursework, method statements, etc. But at the level of complexity and responsibility! Can I include previous work experience (internships, pre-btech etc)? Should the person signing my TER be registered? Does my mentor need to be registered as a mentor with ECSA? Does being part of a professional institution count towards my registration?

42 SUPPORT NETWORKS Peer support groups in office. CESA YPF Online Q&A platform ECSA Workshops (like this & more) You re not in it alone, but you need to put in the hard work, Push through the paperwork!!

43 CESA YPF WC ONLINE Q&A PLATFORM ONLINE ECSA REG. Q&A PLATFORM Set-up by CESA YPF Committee Peer support platform to share tips and advice between YPs

44 What is it & how does it work? Google Groups platform Post questions and answers in categories

45 How to join the platform? Google google groups and then search for ECSA or CESA. And request to join

46 Logging in You will receive an with a link, to log in you will need a Google Account 2 options: 1. Use your gmail address (if you have one) 2. Create Google Account with another non-gmail address

47 Notification vs Spam? You can set your notification settings when you join the platform or amending your personal settings here OPTIONS 1. No notifications 2. Daily Summary 3. Condensed (25messages) 4. Notify for every message

48 Who can see my personal information? You can set your name here Only the managers of the site can see your name and address

49 Who will answer my questions? CESA YPF Committee will be the link between YPs and all Candidates a) Fellow YPs and/or Candidates that have asked the same question and have the answers/advice b) Contacts at ECSA c) Senior Mentors d) ECSA Reviewers

50 Disclaimer We will need your help! Suggestions to improve the platform Please answer other people s questions if you can, by sharing advice that you were given Responses won t be immediate

51 Disclaimer Contributors are not ECSA - read critically and ask respected mentors if unsure and then add to the conversation. Hope to compile and send feedback to ECSA (at some point) on key issues/faqs that emerge

52 Building a culture of mentoring

53 Improving mentoring culture 1. Formalise a mentoring programme in the office Work together (YPs and management/ decision-makers) sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between mentors and mentees, defining the roles and expectations (time and scope) Assign mentors Display on notice boards

54 Improving mentoring culture 2. Think, talk, work mentoring Talk about mentoring Reminders of importance of mentorship (top down and bottom down) agenda item, appraisals etc. Recognise good mentors Encourage multiple mentors Emphasise mentoring opportunities through Quality Assurance system of checking work

55 Improving mentoring culture 3. Be the mentor you wish you had! (or do have?) identify your mentors identify the people who might be looking to you for guidance/mentoring. Mentoring for transformation in the industry and it begins in the office at a human level.

56 Improving mentoring culture 4. Broaden the definition of mentoring Talks and presentations (online, internal, external) Invite to meetings for exposure Engage, show an interest and make time for mentoring Share networks Group mentoring, Peer mentoring, two-way mentoring Online videos, articles Mentoring Multiple mentors

57 Improving mentoring culture 5. Training for managers and mentors on soft skills and expectations for their roles.

58 Improving mentoring culture 6. Rethink internal company processes towards mentoring performance reviews/appraisals to align with the ECSA Registration focus on mentoring/guidance/coaching. consider alternative ways for skills development(secondment, rotation) Performance reviews for mentors/managers

59 Improving mentoring culture 7. Make time to reflect! As an individual, as a mentee, as a mentor, as an office, as a company. Reflection of office culture, cultural diversity management

60 Acknowledgements My mentors John Coetzee Colleagues/peer-mentors All of you, particularly the mentors

61 Any questions?

62 Thank You! Viola Milner