EVENT | YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR POWER AND THE GLORY Two female electrical engineers were the big winners at the Young Engineer Awards, with Aecoms Jennifer Cox named CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year and Megan Whitbread winning the inaugural Apprentice of the Year Award. Alex Smith watched the winning presentations CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year Jennifer Cox (left) and Apprentice of the Year Megan Whitbread T he Young Engineer Awards marked its 25th anniversary by launching a new category, the CIBSE Young Apprentice of the Year. Its first winner, announced last month in a virtual award ceremony, was Megan Whitbread, an apprentice electrical engineer at Troup Bywaters + Anders. To win the award she had to demonstrate to the judges a passion for the industry, effective communication skills, and the ability to inspire. Whitbread beat eight other apprentices on the shortlist after impressing judges with her video presentation on Why the role of a building services engineer is a good career. At the same event, Aecoms Jennifer Cox was awarded the CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year accolade. Since the award started 25 years ago, 40% of the winners have been women, which dwarfs the 12% figure for the proportion of women working in the wider engineering profession. Whitbread joined Troup Bywaters + Anders in 2015 and started the final year of her apprentice degree at London South Bank University in September. In her video, she described building services engineering as an exceptional career where you can make a difference in so many ways. As an electrical engineer in the healthcare sector, Whitbread said she had the privilege of working alongside clinicians, nurses and support staff to form a design that works for them. By providing carefully considered designs, it allows patients to be as comfortable as possible and aid recovery times, she said. Whitbread said that her career allowed her to encourage others to make a difference. Im helping to provide a better future by educating clients and peers to always go that extra mile to reduce carbon in a socially responsible way. The approach were taking is pushing the industry innovators and suppliers to come up with solutions and technology to meet this challenge. Whitbread explained why it was essential for engineers to see a job from inception to completion. It allows me to have an influence over the final project and understand how the designs Ive created actually work and are commissioned on site, she said. This means that on the next project I know what works well and what doesnt from a buildability perspective. The whole life approach at Troup Bywaters + Anders has also given Whitbread the opportunity The approach were taking is pushing the industry innovators and suppliers to come up with solutions and technology to meet this challenge 24 November 2020 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Nov 2020 pp24-25 Young Engineer winners.indd 24 23/10/2020 15:46