Engineers are sad souls. They do these wonderful things, and yet they have a planet sized chip on their shoulders about not being loved. They are trying to do something about this. A bunch of engineering institutions have launched the Engineering Media Challenge.
The money on offer, £35,000, is far from peanuts, but are they going for the right people? Writers are the bottom of the media food chain. Great ideas will sink without trace if the people who run the media outlets show no interest.
23 April 2006
Engineering Media Challenge
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Michael
You point is noted and its interesting to get your insight on the media food-chain. I am not sure I would call engineers sad-souls more "frustrated souls" as they/(we) have an identity problem... Although I can no longer call myself engineer - I no longer practice, I do have a role to look out for the interests of the microelectronics industry in the UK in my position as a consultant for the National Microelectronics Institute (NMI). Our role in life is to support a vibrant and healthy industry and in doing so we take a systems view - i.e. all the factors that need to be in place to make this "vibrant and healthy" industry happen. One of the many challenges that the UK has (in general terms) is that we are seeing the number and quality of science, engineering and technology graduates continually decline. This is a BIG problem for us *if* we believe that the knowledge based economy is the future and therefore all science and technology based industries must do something to attract young bright minds to ensure the country has a future in this type of economy. In order to do this we need public role models (as part of the bigger plan)... and popular fictional characters is one such way of raising the profile of engineering and awareness of what engineers (real engineers - the term has been watered down significantly) do... hence the competition. It may not be perfect and the mechanism may be risky (given your comments) but the objective is to raise the profile and atractiveness of careers in engineering to sustain the fine pedigree of progress, invention and innovation that UK engineers have delivered to the world in the past (e.g jet engines, television, computers, internet etc. etc.). If you have good ideas on how to better achieve this then I would genuinely be interested to hear them. kindest regards JWM.
Michael,
Thank you for publicising the Challenge and I think I can partly address the concern - and the drivers! John has it right. We don't get much assistance in the media from sympathetic role models - or ANY role models! Yet think of medical professions, the legal profession and vets. They all have the benefit of high profile media role models. Increasingly, this is influencing youngsters' choice of career. Forensic pathology has had a boost from "Silent Witness". Forensic Science is taking off in UK universities because of CSI.
What do engineers have? Bob the Builder???
The prize isn't about commissioning writers, it's about rewarding those who have been published or broadcast, and therefore the sponsoring institutions don't need to get involved in commissioning - with all the pitfalls that would entail (eg paying the entire cost of production of something that doesn't cut the mustard).
So it's an idea based on publicising some successes "pour encourager les autres". I realise that writers don't control the media outlets, but they need to be thinking of the creative and dramatic opportunities around engineering. It's had reaonable PR so far including some articles in the Guardian, and I hope we'll get more when we announce the first prizewinners. So already the Challenge itself has helped draw attention to the recruitment crisis and the perception gap.
There's still time to nominate an entry and win £250 for a successful nomination!
Gordon Masterton
President
The Institution of Civil Engineers and creator of the Engineering Media Challenge!
Post a Comment